Dark Roller-Coaster
by Landon Richardson
Summary: One night is all it took to put Steve McGarrett newly achieved happiness at risk. Now he has to decide what's best. What he wants and needs or the needs of his team. Either way, someone is going to lose. (Steve x female Danni) COMPLETED
1. Bump in the night

Dark Roller-coaster

By

Landon Richardson and TealRose

Official Disclaimer

 **The characters of Lieutenant Commander Steven 'Steve' McGarrett, Detective Chin Ho Kelly, Officer Kono Kalakaua, Agent Jenna Kaye, Adam 'Toast' Charles, Malia Waincroft and Lieutenant Freddie Hart do not belong to me in any shape or form. I am merely using them for my own entertainment purposes.**

 **The character of Detective Sergeant Danielle 'Danni' Williams probably can be considered to be mine by now. Although she was originally based on male Danny, she soon evolved becoming her own person. She has her own background, her own family, her own history and her own distinct personality. This isn't to say that the Danny Williams we all know and love is completely gone, he still emerges through her at times. I like to think of female Danni as what Danny could have been if everything in his life had gone his way. As in full custody of Grace and a decent relationship with his ex.**

 **The character of Grace has also changed slightly due to the change in Danni. Her surname is Taylor as this is her father's surname and was Danni's married name (Danni reverted back to her maiden name when she was divorced). Her parents also are amicable which has also impacted Grace but never fear, she's still the sweetheart we know and love, and if anything she's more a sweetheart now.**

 **The character of Special Agent Jack O'Connor, Major David Williams, Lieutenant Commander Riley King, Nyla Leon, Duncan Taylor, also belongs to me as does any other character who you do not recognise from the show. Please do not use them, or my version of Danni and Grace without first asking for my permission to do so.**

 **Thank you.**

Author Note

 **Welcome to Dark Roller-Coaster**

 **This story is a companion piece to go with the original story Roller-Coaster. While the original one was a happy story where everything works out, this story is more realistic in reactions and everything. I have also decided to break it down into chapters rather than the extremely long one shot like the original Roller-Coaster was.**

 **Thank you for sticking with me through my hiatus. This is hopefully at a end now, real life has been tough recently but I now have a writing schedule in place and if I can keep to it which I hopefully can then you should be seeing a great deal more updates and stories from me. There will also be a lot of emphasis on completing outstanding projects like this one.**

 **Please enjoy**

Official Summary

 **One night is all it took to put Steve McGarrett newly achieved happiness at risk. Now he has to decide what's best. What he wants and needs or the needs of his team. Either way, someone is going to lose. (Steve x female Danni)**

Chapter Summary

 **"I don't know about this Smooth, something doesn't seem right here" Cracker said, his dark eyes flickering around him at the surrounding jungle.**

Overall Romances

 **Hints of Steve McGarrett / Danni Williams (McDanni)**

 **Mentions of past Duncan Taylor / Danni Williams (Dunni)**

 **Mentions of past Chin Ho Kelly / Malia Waincroft (Chalia)**

 **Nyla Leon / Hunter Leon (Hunla)**

Chapter Romances

 **Hints of Steve McGarrett / Danni Williams (McDanni)**

Warning

 **This story features a female Danni Williams in place of a male Danny Williams. Although in some stories I write, Danny does exist, he does not exist in this one. If this isn't your cup of tea than please turn back now.**

Other note

 **I do not have a Beta so please forgive any mistakes which may creep in, I always do my best to edit the story and check it but sometimes mistakes do creep in.**

 **The places I've mentioned in Hawaii are ones which come from google, including the addresses. I've never been to Hawaii myself in person so I apologise for any mistakes which I may make, these are not intentional.**

 **Italics = Dream sequence**

* * *

Chapter One

Things go bump in the night

* * *

 _"I don't know about this Smooth, something doesn't seem right here" Cracker said, his dark eyes flickering around him at the surrounding jungle. It was thick and dense, requiring the use of a machete to make their way through it. They had been on the hunt for just shy of two hours and were making no head way though no one wanted to be the one to admit it first. The air was closed and stifling, sweat running off their faces mixing in with the dark green face paint they had spread across their skin to blend in with the surrounding area._

 _"We have a mission and we're not leaving until its completed, whatever it takes to get it done, is what we'll do Cracker" Smooth Dog responded, pushing down on his own sense of unease which was growing by the minute._

 _"We ain't going to be able to complete any mission if we walk right bang into a trap Smooth, we need to regroup and…" Cracker had begun to say before a sound to the side attracting their attention. They swung round as one, fingers on the trigger but before they could apply the needed pressure, gunfire exploded at them and the world turned into a haze of red and screams._

* * *

Steve McGarrett's eyes slammed open, his breath escaping in ragged gasps as he looked around him, his body tense as he tried to get his bearings in the unfamiliar room, sweat poured off of him causing the blanket to stick uncomfortably to his legs.

He could hear someone moving nearby, a slight weight against the floorboards outside, just enough to cause them to creak slightly. He froze for a moment, his eyes narrowing as he took in his situation. He was currently at an unknown location, his team were missing meaning that they had no doubt been captured as well and were now in a similar situation. He needed to take out this guard, grab his weapon and find his men so they could escape. Whoever was coming towards him was a threat to him and needed to be eliminated as such,

He rolled off what seemed to be a sofa, landing quietly on his feet and moved across the room silently, standing next to the door and easing it open slightly so he could see into the darkened hallway.

He hunched down and waited until the figure was close then struck, using his body to slam hard into the person, smashing them against the opposite wall. The startled yelp of surprise and pain sounded female but he ignored the instinct which flared up to stop his attack, reminding himself harshly that women were just as capable of dealing death to an unwary person as a man was.

He pressed his forearm against the woman's throat, cutting out her ability to call out to anyone for help, he could hear her gasping, a small, almost delicate hand pushing against his arm trying desperate to gain some much needed oxygen. It would be so easy to end this all now, a simple twist and the fragile neck could break and he would be safe again and alone with time to plan his next move.

He could hear a roaring in his ears almost deafening him when a faint but familiar voice broke through the white noise, calling to him, providing him with a much needed anchor to grasp. He focused on the voice, using it like a life line, the noise receding allowing the words to become clearer with each passing second.

"Steve please… please… let go… I can't breathe… please"

Steve loosened his hold enough that the woman could escape, sliding down the wall and coughing hard as she gasped in air, her hand coming up to protect her neck.

He looked down at her, horror washing over him when he found himself confronted with the familiar grey eyes of his partner Danni Williams. Eyes which were currently wet, tears escaping down her flushed cheeks though whether she was crying or it was just a reaction from what he did, he didn't know.

What he did know was that look in her eyes was barely concealed fear and it was a look which he had placed there and one which was directed at him.

He swallowed, his mind whirling with the thought that he had attacked Danni, the same Danni who had opened up her home to him and allowed him to stay with her and her young daughter Grace while his own house was being repaired after a case which they had been working on for the Governor had gone horribly wrong leaving the place littered with bullet holes and needing a hell of a lot of work. Danni hadn't even hesitated with her offer and this was how he repaid her. By almost killing her.

"Danni?" He said finally, barely able to get the word out of his throat. He was drowning in the knowledge that he had hurt her, hell he had been going to kill her, the only thing stopping him had been her voice breaking through the haze. If it hadn't, if he had carried on. He swallowed down the bile which rose in his throat.

He couldn't stay here, not now, not when it wasn't safe for her to be around him. The next time it happened she may not reach him in time. If he lost Danni then life wouldn't be liveable but if he had been the one to cause her death, well that was something he wouldn't have been able to live with. He would have waited long enough to make sure that Grace was safe then followed Danni.

A movement caught his eye, his eyes flickering back to see Danni come slowly to her feet, her hand using the wall behind her to support her. She leaned against it, one arm held out to the side of her as though she was using it to balance herself before the other one came up, gingerly rubbing at her throat again, her eyes scrunched close as though the gentle touch caused her pain, something which he knew from experience was the case.

"Danno, god Danno I'm so sorry, I… I need to get out of here, I'll go and stay somewhere else instead" He told her, terror merging with sick horror and guilt, the combination threatening to drag him under, back into that place where he felt as though no light could reach him.

Dark thoughts hit him, floating round his mind on repeat.

What if she never let him back into her home again?

What if that look of fear he seen in her eyes remained there?

What would he do without her in his life brightening it up?

The thought of going back to the life which had been his existence before she entered his lworld was too horrific for him to contemplate resulting in him quickly pushing that one outcome from his mind.

Steve shook his head, turning and moved down the corridor, taking the stairs two at a time, his eyes flickering to the closed door of Grace's bedroom before he pushed open the door to the spare room he had been using. The same room he had been quietly been thinking of as his own. A room which would never be his now. He grabbed his bag off the floor and threw it on the bed, moving round the room and picking up anything which he could see which belonged to him.

He turned, stopping when he realised that Danni had followed him into the room. She had somehow managed to close the door without him hearing her and was now leaning against it, her large grey eyes searching his face carefully as though she was trying to read his mind. There was a lack of anger in her gaze, instead all we could detect was a sadness which he realised with a jolt was directed at him. Danni was sad for him.

He watched helplessly as she moved towards him, stopping in front of him. He expected her to punch him round the face for what he had just done to her but instead she remained still in front of him.

"Steven" She said softly, her voice trailing off for a moment as though she was trying to pick her words before she started again. "It's late so just… just stay okay"

"But I…" He began stopping when she held her hand up.

"But nothing, just stay. We'll sort everything out in the morning" She commented before she sighed and moved forward, reaching forward, her hand stopping just by his chest, hovering for a moment as she searched his eyes before she gripped his t-shirt and used the hold to pull him down and wrapped her arms around him, speaking quietly into his ear when he rested his forehead against her shoulder. "I got you tonight partner"

Steve froze for a moment before he shuddered in her hold, his arms coming round her as words began escaping his mouth in a torrent before he could rein them in.

"I'm so sorry Danni; I never meant for this to happen or to bring this to you house and make you deal with it… with me. I just… I get these dreams and they don't stop, every time I close my eyes I see them… I thought I was finally getting a handle on them and then… then I do this… Danni…" He stopped, shaking his head as he sank to his knees in front of her, his arms still wrapped around her slim waist as he buried his face against her stomach, needing the contact with her but not wanting to look into her eyes. Images flashes across his mind, all he could see was blood, all he could hear was the screams of the mortally wounded, everything mingling in with the rough rat tat, tat sound of guns until he felt as though he was losing his sanity.

"Shhhh Steven shhhh come back to me"

Steve blinked, slowly becoming aware of his surroundings, somewhere during his flashback Danni had knelt beside him, her arm wrapped around him as she gently rock him to and fro. Her other hand was gently combing through his hair relaxing him despite himself. A soft humming sound countered the roaring in his eyes, a tune which he recognised as a lullaby which he had heard Danni sing to Grace countless times while she had been putting the small girl to bed. It was the same familiar lullaby which he found himself humming while he was at work and needing to focus himself at the task at hand.

The darkness ebbed away leaving him confused as though he was emerging from under water, his gaze flickering around the room until it landed on the alarm clock on the side of his bed. An alarm clock which told him that only fifteen minutes had passed since he had woken up and attacked Danni until now. He had never managed to break free from his living nightmare this quickly before. Normally it took hours before he was able to distinguish between reality and memories.

He sighed shakily, turning his hand and burrowing closer to Danni, letting her warmth sooth him further. He needed this comfort, needed more of the safe haven which she had offered him so freely. He listened to her, realising that the humming had stopped and had instead been replaced by her voice speaking softly to him. "It's okay Steve, everything will be okay. You're safe here, you're home, and you're safe"

"Danni" He murmured softly, his voice coming out harsh as though he had been screaming at the top of his voice for a long period of time. He turned, tucking his face into the crook of her neck, inhaling the scent of oranges which lingered on her skin.

"That's right, it's me. You're here in Hawaii in my house and you're safe, It's just the two of us and Grace. No one else is here" She told him firmly, her fingertips massaging his scalp. They sat there for a few minutes in silence before Danni spoke. "How are you feeling? Do you think you can get up?"

"Not yet" He answered her tiredly, barely able to force the words out of his throat. "It safer here" He tightened his arms around her, tilting his head up so he could smell her hair, the vanilla scent calming him further. He knew that what he should do is move away from her, give her space after what he did and beg her forgiveness until the tenseness he could feel in her was gone but he didn't, instead he moved closer, wanting to relish what could be the last time she allowed him near her.

"There's no rush Steve, we can move when you're ready, there's nowhere we actually need to be at this moment in time. When you are ready let me know" She replied.

Steve remained still, his body warring with itself as he fought the urge to wrap his arm around her neck and pull her down into a kiss. He couldn't though, not after what he had just done. He was lucky that she was even in the same room as him, doing anything else, other than what he was currently doing, would be a mistake and he knew it. It just didn't stop his need for her growing until he felt almost overwhelmed by all the emotions he was experiencing.

Breathing out slowly he unwrapped his arms from her and moved away, slowly coming to his feet thankful to see that he was now steady. He watched as she came to her feet as well before he spoke.

"Thank you Danni, you always help me, more than even you realise" He told her truthfully.

Danni remained quiet for a moment, her teeth nibbling at her lower lip before she spoke.

"We're partners, if we don't help each other out then who will" She answered, her hand coming up as though she was about to touch him. She stopped, hesitating for a moment before she dropped it, the simple action causing a sharp stab of pain to Steve's chest as the breath caught in his throat. "Let's go to the kitchen, I don't know about you but I need a drink right now." She told him as she turned and headed towards the door, stopping in front of it when he spoke.

"Are we talking about a hard or soft drink?" He asked.

"As tempting as a hard drink would be right about now, we'll have to stick to soft, we have work tomorrow and I for one don't want to deal with a pounding headache on top of everything else. I'm thinking a cup of tea is the answer" She said, ignoring him when he groaned at her comment and instead continued to speak as though he had remain silent. "There's some very good teas out there, one which can help the body and more importantly help relax the mind. Call me crazy but I think that would do you a lot more good than a shot of whiskey will now" She stated, the tone to her voice making it clear that she wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"And don't tell me you have all these teas in your kitchen cupboard" He commented, following her out of the room and towards the staircase. She remained quiet as they moved through the house into the kitchen, the silence placing him on edge as he wondered what she was thinking at that moment in time. He was hoping that the fact she hadn't thrown him out of her house or hit him back was a sign that what had just happened hadn't destroyed everything between them.

"Actually I do, feel free to mock all you want but I happen to like tea" She replied, looking at him over her shoulder with unreadable eyes as she reached out and flipped on the light switch, flooding the kitchen with light. She moved across the floor to the kettle, picking it up and headed to the sink to fill it with water.

"I know you do but it doesn't change the fact that you're the woman who lives on coffee for the majority of her day. You've already said you can't function at the beginning of the day before you had some and after seeing what you were like without coffee I agree. Why do you think I went and bought you a coffee machine for the office? It was for the sake of the team and my own sanity" He stated, watching with a sense of relief when she smiled at the comment.

"Is that why you got it" Was all she said with a shake of her head before she changed the subject. "A tea in the evening is good to relax, something which is often needed after a day with you, especially if you've been driving Steven" She retorted.

Steve snorted at her remark, pulling out one of the seats from around the kitchen table and lowered himself slowly into it, not wanting to make any sudden movements. He looked round the kitchen carefully before he focused his attention back on Danni, his eyes narrowing as he studied her.

She was ignoring him, her attention fixed on the task at hand. She looked as though she was in her mid-twenties rather than a Detective who he knew was thirty one years old. A lot of that probably had to do with her lack of height and slim fame though he noted that she was womanly in the place which it counted. She was dressed in a pair of shorts and an oversized football jersey with her surname across the back which he suspected she had swiped from one of her brothers when she moved. There was no denying that she looked beautiful in the overhead light and it was a sight he wanted to see daily.

He licked his lips absently as he scanned her mouth before his eyes dropped lower to her throat, taking in the bruising which was already forming on her pale skin. By the time morning came round he knew it would be a riot of colours and beyond painful.

"Danni your throat is already bruising, I can't stay here knowing that I'm the cause of it" He told her.

Danni froze for a moment before she sighed, moving down the counter until she was by the toaster which she picked up, clearly using it as a mirror to examine her throat.

"There's nothing we can do until tomorrow" She replied calmly, placing the toaster back down and straightening it almost absently.

"Danni if you need medical care then-" Steve began stopping when Danni cut across him.

"I said tomorrow Steve. There's nothing we can do now" She repeated. "Unless of course you expect me to wake Grace up and take her to the hospital with us because all that will do is upset her and that is the last thing either of us need in this situation. Yes my throat hurts, yes tomorrow it may be a good idea to go and see Nyla just to make sure things are okay but right now all I want is to have a cup of tea, for you to have a cup of tea and then to go to bed to try and attempt to get some sleep so we're not both zombies tomorrow, Understood?"

"I understand" Steve said quietly, watching as she breathed out, clearly forcing some of the tension away from her shoulders.

"I'll use concealer and foundation tomorrow and a scarf round my neck for tomorrow to try and hide it. It probably won't work but the last thing I want and I doubt you want is to try and explain this to the other. The fact that I'm apparently the fashion plate of five-0 will work in our favour for once because no one will question the accessory" She remarked, bringing her hand up and brushing her fingertips against her throat as she spoke before she dropped it, turning back and picking up the two mugs on the counter. She moved towards him, placing on in front of him before she took the seat opposite him. "Drink all of that Steve, it will help" She stated before blowing on her own drink. Steve wrapped his hand around it, looking down at it "I take it that what happened in the hall way isn't the first time something like this has happened?" She asked.

"It's rare but it happens occasionally." He admitted before he looked up and met her eyes. "We both know the cost of doing what we do Danni, the cost is just higher for me because of what I did before Five-O. I wouldn't change being a SEAL but… but there are some things I wish I could change. The dreams are one of those things."

"Have you a therapist you can talk to?" She queried, waiting patiently until he nodded at her. "Okay the first thing you need to do tomorrow then Steve is book an appointment and ask them to see you urgently. I can't have you here with me if you don't. I have Grace to think of and I have my own safety to think of as well. I know you would never hurt me on purpose and I trust you with my life Steve, you're one of the best men I know but you need help and I'm not qualified to help you though I wish to God I was." She said sadly.

"Danni I…" He began to say before he stopped focusing on the tea for a moment as he tried to focus his thoughts. "Is that your only condition to me staying with you still, even after the fact I could have killed you tonight? Therapy? How are you going to explain this to Grace when she sees the bruises tomorrow? She's a smart girl Danni, she'll put two and two together and then she'll… she'll hate me and I wouldn't blame her."

"I expect you to go to every therapy session they give you even if it means you leaving work and an active case to do it. Whatever they tell you to do you will do Steven, if you don't then… then we will have to rethink this arrangement which I don't want to do because for some reason it's working but I have to put Grace before everything. I know you understand that right?" She asked, waiting until he nodded before she spoke again. "As to what I'll take Grace about the bruising, well I'll tell her the truth Steve, that you are suffering from PTSD and that it's not your fault."

"How do you know the symptoms of PSTD?" He asked her

Danni tapped her fingers against the mug, looking to the side of them before she spoke.

"I don't know if I've spoken to you about my younger brother Christian" She said, her eyes flickering to him, a slight frown appearing between her brows when he shook his head. "I thought not, Chris is a fighter pilot in the air force. He's had to do a lot of things in the name of his country which he struggles with. Things he can't talk about either because he's been instructed not to or because he can't bring himself to say the words. If you meet him then you'll never know what he's been through because he's always smiling and friendly to anyone he meets but beneath that smile lies a broken man, or so he says. I still see my baby brother in there even if sometimes he can't" She told him, her hand tightening round the mug as she continued. "Chris was diagnosed with PTSD about two years ago after he had to physically pull him off his twin brother Benjamin. Benji is the younger of the two and there is no way that Chris would ever knowingly hurt him. From the way Benji tells it, he simply walked in the room after a shift at work and Chris attacked. Kind of the same as what happened tonight" She said with a shrug. "He realised at that point that he needed help before he did something which he couldn't take back, he confided in us and he got help and now he's on the road to recovery."

"He sounds like he's been through a lot" Steve commented.

"More than any of us know" Danni agreed. "The things is Steve that what happened tonight isn't… well it isn't your fault, it a symptom of a deeper problem which you must get seen. You aren't alone in this fight anymore, you're surrounded with an Ohana who love you and who will have your back through anything. We'll help you through it, you just need to let us."

"I don't deserve you" Steve told her seriously after a pause.

"I'm sure Meka agrees with you there" She replied lightly, her mouth curling into a half smile before she sipped at her tea,

"What if you tell Grace and she doesn't react the way you think she will. What then?" He queried.

"Then we'll speak to Chin and see whether you can stay with him until your house is fixed." She replied simply. "I know my daughter though Steve because I raised her and she won't turn her back on you. She's been through this before with Chris and she managed it then. She will manage it here as long as we're truthful to her and give her all the facts that she needs"

"We're talking to her together?" Steve questioned, raising an eyebrow when she nodded.

"Grace will have questions which she needs answer and it will have to be you that answers him. We need to try and figure out triggers as well" She commented before her eyes softened. "Grace thinks of you like an Uncle, just trust her okay"

"How would I answer her questions?" He said. "I would have no idea what to say."

"What you say is the truth, tell her your situation without going into graphic details. Edit it so that it becomes something that an eight year old girl can understand" She replied before glancing at his mug. "Are you finished?" She asked "We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow and we need to get some rest" She stood, taking his empty mug from him and placed them both by the sink before she headed to the door "Let's go"

Steve came to his feet and followed her out the room and back up the stairs, surprise washing over him when she reached back and wrapped her hand round his wrist and pulling him past the spare room and further door the hallway before she tugged him into the room on the right.

The room which he knew was her bedroom.

"Danni?" He asked her uncertainly as he looked around the room, taking in the details before his eyes landed on the large king sized bed in the middle of the room.

"Chris has always said that the quickest way to ground him back into reality is to be with someone he trusts which right now for you is me so that is what this is Steve. I sleep by the window so you take that side" She commented, nodding to the part closest to the door before she moved round the bed and pulled back the cover, climbing in and covering herself with them.

Steve breathed out, glancing toward the door before he gave in and moved to the side she had indicated. He pulled his t-shirt off out of habit and threw it on the nearby chair before he lowered himself next to her on the mattress. It was surprisingly comfortable, the mattress firm beneath him, the pillow soft and fluffy. He tilted his head into it and breathed in, unsurprised to be hit with the scent of oranges and vanilla mixing together. It was the same scent which surrounded her every day, the scent that clung to his clothes and skin when he was around her, that filled their car and his office with its subtle scent. None of the others had ever mentioned it so he assumed it was just him who was aware of it.

He felt her shift on the mattress followed by a clicking sound which plunged the room into darkness.

He moved, freezing when their shoulders touched, only relaxing when she spoke, her voice calm and slightly husky as though she was fighting sleep.

"Relax Steven, we'll figure this out tomorrow. You're safe for now" She promised him before her breathing evened out telling him without words that she had drifted off to sleep. He listened to it for a moment, matching his own breathing to her before he closed his eyes and succumbed to the darkness.

* * *

Author Note

 **Thanks for taking the time to read. An especially big thank you if you have left me a review, favourite the story or decided to follow it.**

 **I really appreciate it**


	2. The next morning

Dark Roller-Coaster

By

Landon Richardson and TealRose

Official Disclaimer

 **The characters of Lieutenant Commander Steven 'Steve' McGarrett, Detective Chin Ho Kelly, Officer Kono Kalakaua, Agent Jenna Kaye, Adam 'Toast' Charles, Malia Waincroft and Lieutenant Freddie Hart do not belong to me in any shape or form. I am merely using them for my own entertainment purposes.**

 **The character of Detective Sergeant Danielle 'Danni' Williams probably can be considered to be mine by now. Although she was originally based on male Danny, she soon evolved becoming her own person. She has her own background, her own family, her own history and her own distinct personality. This isn't to say that the Danny Williams we all know and love is completely gone, he still emerges through her at times. I like to think of female Danni as what Danny could have been if everything in his life had gone his way. As in full custody of Grace and a decent relationship with his ex.**

 **The character of Grace has also changed slightly due to the change in Danni. Her surname is Taylor as this is her father's surname and was Danni's married name (Danni reverted back to her maiden name when she was divorced). Her parents also are amicable which has also impacted Grace but never fear, she's still the sweetheart we know and love, and if anything she's more a sweetheart now.**

 **The character of Special Agent Jack O'Connor, Major David Williams, Lieutenant Commander Riley King, Nyla Leon, Duncan Taylor, also belongs to me as does any other character who you do not recognise from the show. Please do not use them, or my version of Danni and Grace without first asking for my permission to do so.**

 **Thank you.**

Author Note

 **Here's the next chapter for you all.**

 **Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read this story**

 **Please enjoy**

Official Summary

 **One night is all it took to put Steve McGarrett newly achieved happiness at risk. Now he has to decide what's best. What he wants and needs or the needs of his team. Either way, someone is going to lose. (Steve x female Danni)**

Chapter Summary

 **Steve moved on the mattress, a large yawn splitting his face on two as awareness slowly came back to him. He was on his side facing towards the window if the amount of sunlight hitting his face was any indication for him to go by. One arm was beneath the pillow he was using, slightly numb from the weight of his head on it while the other was stretch out to the side, his hand curled round something soft and smooth as though he was trying to stop whatever it was from escaping, he could feel a heat radiating against his palm which was strangely comforting.**

Overall Romances

 **Hints of Steve McGarrett / Danni Williams (McDanni)**

 **Mentions of past Duncan Taylor / Danni Williams (Dunni)**

 **Mentions of past Chin Ho Kelly / Malia Waincroft (Chalia)**

 **Nyla Leon / Hunter Leon (Hunla)**

Chapter Romances

 **Hints of Steve McGarrett / Danni Williams (McDanni)**

Warning

 **This story features a female Danni Williams in place of a male Danny Williams. Although in some stories I write, Danny does exist, he does not exist in this one.**

 **If this isn't your cup of tea than please turn back now.**

Other note

 **I do not have a Beta so please forgive any mistakes which may creep in, I always do my best to edit the story and check it but sometimes mistakes do creep in.**

 **The places I've mentioned in Hawaii are ones which come from google, including the addresses. I've never been to Hawaii myself in person so I apologise for any mistakes which I may make, these are not intentional.**

* * *

Chapter Two

The Next Morning

* * *

Steve moved on the mattress, a large yawn splitting his face on two as awareness slowly came back to him. He was on his side facing towards the window if the amount of sunlight hitting his face was any indication for him to go by. One arm was beneath the pillow he was using, slightly numb from the weight of his head on it while the other was stretch out to the side, his hand curled round something soft and smooth as though he was trying to stop whatever it was from escaping, he could feel a heat radiating against his palm which was strangely comforting.

Steve frowned, slowly forcing his eyes opened and squinted, his gaze focusing on the view in front of him, his heart skipping a beat in his chest when he realised exactly where he was. Danni lay next to him clearly fast asleep in her steady breathing was a sign. She was facing away from him leaving him a view of her back and the long blond hair spilling down it. He resisted the urge to reach out with his other hand and wrap one of the curls round his finger, wanting to see whether the texture was as soft as he remembered from the rare time he had been able to touch it.

His eyes dropped down to his other hand realising with a raised eyebrow that it was her hip he was holding, sometime during the night he had managed to push her vest top up to give him access to her skin. There was little space between them, Steve pressed up against her, spooning her. He noted how well they fitted together making him want to experience this day after day.

Closing his eyes for a moment, he let himself enjoy the sensation for a moment before he shifted, getting ready to move away from her when he froze, his grip tightening on her as a loud beeping sound erupted from the alarm clock on the bedside table.

Danni moved away from him, causing his hand to be dislodged from where it was and trail down her ass before it landed on the mattress. He watched as she twisted round on her front, burying her face into the pillow for a moment before she pushed herself up into a sitting position. She was facing the headboard, her hand coming up to cover her mouth as she yawned.

Steve frowned, his eyes landing on the bruise round her throat. It was thick spanning at least half of the area. Just a single block which he knew would match his forearm perfectly. The riot of colour was familiar and he knew from past experience that she must have been in a great deal of pain though clearly her sleepiness had blunted some of it.

His eyes rose, blinking when he realised that she had tilted her head to the side and was now watching him quietly with a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Morning Steven" She said, the rough quality of her voice making him wince, knowing that he was the reason behind it. He swallowed, wishing he could swallow his guilt down before he replied.

"Morning Danni, how are you?" He replied.

For a moment she remained silent, her eyebrow raised before she ducked her head, a slight smile curving her mouth.

"I'm fine, just a bit tired but it was a bit of a long and eventful night after all. What about you? Are you okay? Did you manage to get any more sleep?" She asked him in a brisk tone. Her fingertips coming up to her throat, lightly touching it before she looked away from her, the hand which had been resting lightly on her thigh curled into a fist, no doubt from the pain.

"I slept better than I have done since I arrived back in Hawaii" He admitted, catching the way her expression softened at the remark. She reached over to his, resting her hand on his bare shoulder and squeezed down on the muscle before quickly pulling her hand back. She shifted her weight again, moving so she was facing the window, her legs swinging round so that her feet was resting on the floor.

"I'm glad you did. Do you think that having someone you know with you made a difference then?" She questioned, glancing over her shoulder at him.

For a moment Steve was tempted to tell her the truth that it had been having Danni near him that had allowed him to sleep but he didn't know how she would react to that comment. He had been lucky that she had even allowed him in the same house as him let alone in the same bed. Most people would be done the sensible thing and thrown him out on his ass before he could cause any more harm.

"I think it must have played a factor" He said finally, aware that the silence between them had gone on a touch too long.

"Well that's something to remember for the future then" She said after a pause, giving him a brief smile as her eyes searched his before she pushed herself to her feet and raising herself on her tiptoes, her arms stretching above her head before she began speaking again. "I'm going to head into the shower now and get changed so I can make Gracie some breakfast. Are you going to hit the pool or go for a run this morning?" She questioned him.

Steve considered her question as he came up into a seated position his eyes moving to the window.

"I'm going to head out for a run this morning" He answered her. She nodded, flashing him the same small smile before he headed to the second door in the room which Steve assumed led into the en-suite bathroom which he remembered her mentioning she had. "Danni wait a minute" He called out after her, waiting until she turned round to him again before he looked at her neck again, paying closer attention to it. "We need to see a Doctor today" He told her, bracing himself for her explaining to him why she didn't need to go but that didn't occur, instead she merely nodded at him.

"I know, Nyla is on shift this morning so I'll head down there before work and see whether she thinks I need to see a Doctor" She responded

"Danno I…." He began to say, his words trailing off as he looked away, suddenly hating himself for what he had done, something which he knew was his fault. She wouldn't have needed to see Nyla and potentially a Doctor if it wasn't for him.

"You can stop that right now" She stated firmly attracting his attention again. "You blaming yourself isn't going to do you or me any good" She told him. He swallowed as he came to his feet, grabbing his t-shirt from the chair he had thrown it on the night before.

"Well who else is to blame Danni?" He retorted. "You hardly had your own forearm pressed against your neck" He bit the inside of his cheek when his comment caused her to wince, no doubt reliving the moment.

"Because of your PTSD which is something you can't help" She stated crossing the room so she was in front of him, she tilted her had back so she could maintain eye contact with him. "Let me ask you this, would you attack me now?" She queried. The simple comment making him feel sick to his your stomach.

"No" He answered instantly, the word coming out harshly.

"Exactly and right now you are in your right frame of mind. You can't blame yourself for something you have no control over. We know what the problem is Steve so now we just need to figure out a solution that will allow you to remain here with you. One that will ensure Grace's safety over everything else. We are the best at what we do so between the two of us we'll figure this out" She said confidently reaching out and wrapping her hand round his waist, squeezing down on it. "Trust me Steven" She said before dropping his wrist.

"You're one of the only people I do trust Danni" He said hoarsely. "But this is my fault and until I can get a handle on this then it would probably be best if I go to a hotel there. I can't… I can't be responsible for hurting you Danni or risk hurting Grace. You would end up hating me and who could blame you."

Danni blinked at his comment, looking away from him. She was saved from answering when the bedroom door opened revealing Grace. She had already gotten dressed in the uniform which she had to wear to go to school though her long dark hair was left down and was clearly tangled from her night's sleep. She looked tired, rubbing at her eyes before she yawned.

"Morning Mamma" She said, her dark brown eyes flickering over to Steve. If she was confused as to why Steve was standing in Danni's bedroom dressed only in a pair of shorts then she didn't show it as she spoke. "Morning Uncle Steve"

Steve bit the inside of his mouth again at the sight of the small girl, fighting against the urge which rose in him which told him to escape the room and the situation. To leave before he hurt the person he cared the most for further than he already had. Grace was an extremely intelligent girl taking after both her parents, she would see Steve and Danni together and see the bruises round her neck which hadn't been there when she had gone to bed the night before and put two and two together. He tensed realising that Grace was looking at him with an expectant look on her face. He forced a smile on her face, nodding towards her and spoke.

"Morning Grace" He replied, knowing already what was about to happen and was powerless to stop it.

Grace smiled brightly at him before she turned her attention back to Danni, her body suddenly tensing as she clearly noticed the bruises around Danni neck, bruises which were almost impossible to miss against her natural fairness. Even when she had makeup on he knew the team would see them.

"Mamma, what happened to you? Are you okay?" Grace demanded, a frightened tone to her voice which Steve had never heard before as she ran directly to Danni, wrapping her arms around her waist and clinging to her, her small body shaking

Steve glanced towards the door again, wondering whether he should leave Danni to speak to Grace alone though the look which his partner shot him quickly caused the thought to disperse. He met her eyes, giving her a single nod and watched when Danni nodded back before she wrapped her arm around Grace and led the small girl to the bed, lowering herself onto the mattress and allowing Grace to scramble onto her lap. She made a movement with her hand, indicated with it for Steve to join them.

He moved so he was standing near to them, his eyes on Danni as she began to speak, her voice soft and loving the same way it always was when she was speaking to Grace.

"Gracie, do you remember when we were still living in New Jersey and it was Christmas time? The time where your Uncle Chris came to spend it with us?" She asked the small girl. For a moment Grace frowned, the look reminding Steve sharply of her mother before Grace nodded. "That's good, we had a good time that Christmas didn't we?" Danni continued to say, her hand stroking down Grace's dark hair.

"It was lots of fun" Grace agreed, a brief smile coming to her face before it slipped off again.

"Do you remember when Uncle Chris and I sat you down and told you that he was sick and what he went through when he was especially worried or stressed by someone?" Danni questioned.

Grace nodded slowly before she turned to look at Steve, her eyes searching his face. He wondered for a moment just what she was seeing but he couldn't tell, instead of speaking to him the small girl turned back to look at Danni who was merely watching her, waiting for her reaction.

"I remember Mamma" Grace said, her eyes flickering back to Steve for a moment before she continued speaking. "Does Uncle Steve suffer from the same condition that Uncle Chris does?" She asked

"Yes monkey" Danni told her. There was a moment of silence where Grace clearly digested the news before she turned to Steve, hundreds of questions in her dark eyes which Steve found herself responding to.

"I'm sorry Grace, I never meant, I didn't…" He began to say, stopping as he heard Danni's voice in his mind telling him to be truthful to the small girl. "When I'm stressed or upset then I suffer from dreams Grace though a better description for them would be nightmares about what I went through when I was in the Navy and about things which we've gone through here. I can't control these nightmare or my reactions after them. If I could then I would" He said, bringing a shaky hand to his hair and running it through the short strands.

"I understand Uncle Steve, Uncle Chris sat me down and explain it all to me. He said that it was like being trapped having to replay the same day over and over again and whatever you did you couldn't change to dream or escape it. He said that when it happened it felt like you were sinking into quicksand and even when you woke up you didn't know where you were or what was real and what wasn't. He said it left you confused and that you could end up doing something that you didn't mean to do" Grace told him, her eyes moving to look at Danni's neck before she looked back at Steve, her mind clearly latching onto exactly what happened. Steve watched as Grace shifted on Danni's lap, her grip tightening in an almost protective hold.

"Well your Uncle Chris sounds like a clever man who knows what he is talking about Grace" Steve said awkwardly into the silence. "That is exactly how it feels"

Grace nodded, remaining silent for a moment.

"It's something which isn't Uncle Steve fault Gracie, any more than it is Uncle Chris's fault" Danni reminded Grace.

"But Uncle Steve hurt you Mamma" Grace said, the simple comment making Danni bite her lip as she looked away from them both, her arms tightening on Grace.

"Not on purpose Grace, never, ever on purpose" Steve said, his voice coming out roughly.

"But you still did hurt Mamma" Grace replied, pulling a face before she turned back to Danni. "Mamma, I'm hungry, can we have some brekkie now? I don't want to be late for school" She said. Danni remained quiet for a moment before she nodded, leaning down and brushing a kiss across Grace's cheek.

"Of course baby, I'm thinking oatmeal today with a selection of berries today, the ones which we got from the market yesterday, we can put them on top for flavour. Does that sounds good?" She asked, smiling when Grace grinned up at her.

"Yeah Mamma, is Uncle Steve eating with us?" She questioned curiously

"Yeah he is but he's going to head out for a run first" Danni answered.

"Okay" Grace said with a nod giving Danni another hug before she slid off her lap and ran from the room leaving Steve and Danni alone with each other.

"Well that went well" Steve said finally, a tone of sarcasm to his voice as he turned to look at Danni.

"It's a lot to take in" Danni said finally. "It will take time Steve, we can't expect her to be okay with everything straight away"

"She may never be okay with it Danni. As far as she's concerned I'm the person who hurt her mother. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see how close you and Grace are. Any progress I made with her is out the window now, you know that right." Steve stated, moving towards Danni and stopping in front of her.

"I think you're underestimating her Steve" Danni responded, a tinge of coldness to her voice. "And if that is the case then you need to win the progress back. If not then…" her voice trailed off as she shrugged.

"Danni" Steve said, reaching out and resting his hand on her shoulder, noting the way she quickly glanced towards his hand, her body tensing instantly before it eased away. The simple reaction causing him pain though he didn't mention it as he continued speaking. "You know I will, there is nothing more important to me then you and Grace" he admitted, the comment causing a smile to come to her face.

"You're pretty important to me as well Steve which is why I know we'll sort this out. It just something which we can't sort out instantly. You need to call your therapist today and book yourself in to see him as soon as possible"

"I'll call him when you seeing Nyla" Steve promised.

"Mamma we'll be late" Grace's voice said faintly, indicating that she was already downstairs, no doubt in the kitchen.

"I'm coming Grace" Danni called back before she looked back at Steve. "Go for you run sweetheart, breakfast will be on the table when you get back from it" She told him before she slipped passed him and headed out the door

Steve couldn't help the relieved smile which came to his face at her term of affection. He had heard her call a lot of people hon but never anything else. He liked her calling him sweetheart. The term indicating that regardless of what had happened the night before she still clearly cared for him and that gave him some hope to cling to.

Breathing out, Steve pulled on his shirt and left the bedroom, taking the stairs two at a time and headed towards the front door. He could hear Danni and Grace talking quietly to each other but ignored it knowing that Danni would be able to handle any questions which Grace may have to ask. It still amazed him just how much he trusted Danni to have his back. The last person who he had allowed that close to him was Freddie.

He pulled the door open and stepped out in the warm air, closing the door behind him. He lingered for a second, breathing in the scent of flowers before he set off at a jog, preparing his muscles for the run which he needed.

He wasn't sure how long he had been gone but when he returned to the house, sweating and feeling less on edge, he could smell the scent of oatmeal in the air. He smiled, heading towards the kitchen and entered, his gaze landing on the set table where three steaming bowls of oatmeal sat with a mixture of fresh berries on top. He glanced towards Danni surprised to see that she was dressed already in a black skirt which fell just above her knees, a black lacy vest top with a bright red scarf tied casually around her neck hiding the skin from view. She looked gorgeous as though she had come straight out of the fifties era. She glanced up at him, a smile coming to her face which made his heart double in speed.

"Hey you're back, we were beginning to wonder if you would make it back in time before we had to leave. What do you fancy drinking today? Coffee or juice?" She queried, her attention on a second glass which she was filling with orange juice. Steve considered her question as she picked up the juice and headed over to the table, placing it in front of Grace who was already in her seat, attacking her oatmeal which made it clear that the girl was not only starving but relishing her breakfast.

"I think I'll have both this morning though I'll start with the juice" He stated, smiling at Grace when her eyes flickered up to him with a thoughtful expression before she looked back down again. Steve ignored the look, picking up his bowl from the table and began eating it, taking a moment to enjoy the taste marvelling yet again how Danni always managed to get the taste right. If she wasn't a cop then she could definitely have a future in the restaurant business. "Have I got time to take a quick shower before we leave?" He asked round his mouthful.

"Manners please Steven" Danni rebuked mildly as she reached up and took out another glass from the cupboard, twisting her head round so she could shoot him a disapproving frown. He smiled at her round his mouthful of food before he went back to it. "As to you question, if you take you usual three minute shower then you will probably be on time. If not you'll have to take your truck in and I'll meet you at work" She told him, pouring him some juice as well, she walked to the table passing him the glass before lowering herself into her own chair and began eating, her pace a great deal slower and lady like compared to the other two. Steve noticed that Grace automatically began copying her.

"I can always skip the shower" Steve said, looking towards Grace when the small girl shook her head, her hair, which he now noticed was in two neat plaits, flying around her.

"You need a shower Uncle Steve" She told him seriously.

"What are you trying to say Grace? Do you think I smell? And there I was thinking that if I ran close to the flowers that I would smell sweet. Maybe next time I should run through them instead. What do you think?" He asked her, some of the tension easing from him when she giggled at his comment.

"I think you'll silly Uncle Steve" She replied.

Steve sighed, placing his hand over his heart before he placed his empty bowl on the table and picked up the glass instead, downing the contents in one go. He smiled at both of them and left the room, heading back up the stairs and towards the bathroom making sure that he made a detour to the spare room to pick up some fresh clothes from the pile on the chair.

He had just finished pulling on his clothes after his shower when he heard Danni call his name from the bottom of the stairs, her voice faintly muffled by the difference.

"Steve we have to go now or Grace will be late for school. Are you coming with us or shall I see you at work?"

"Please hurry Uncle Steve, I can't be late" Grace added her voice barely escaping a whine which caused him to smile before the smile fell from his face. He doubted he would experience another morning here with Danni and Grace, a fact which hurt him.

Looking towards the clock, he quietly cursed and headed out of the room and down the stairs, nearly crashing into Danni and Grace who were standing near the bottom step.

"Sorry" He murmured, his hand wrapping round Danni's elbow to steady her before he quickly let go. "I'm good to go, I just need to grab my badge from the table, have you got everything from the safe?" He asked, meaning their guns which Danni insisted they kept locked up anytime they were in the house.

"I've got everything, we'll meet you at the car" She told him, not waiting for his response as she ushered a clearly anxious Grace out of the door. Steve grabbed his ID and badge, clipping them to his belt before he grabbed his boots from the entrance hall and headed out the house, making sure to set the alarm and lock the door behind him before he jumped into the passenger side of the car, doing his seatbelt up and focusing on pulling his boots on just as Danni began driving down to the gate which was already open.

He breathed out as he finished with his boots and looked around him, his eyes landing on the travel mug between them. He frowned slightly before looking towards Danni.

"Who is that for?" He queried.

"It's for you" She responded shooting him a quick look. "You wanted coffee right? I mean if you don't want it then I'll happily drink it and-"

"No, no I'm good" He assured her, picking it up and taking a sip, savouring the taste and ignoring the fact it burnt his tongue. "What would I do without you?" He asked, glancing towards her in time to see her jaw clench at his words though when she responded her tone was deceptively light.

"Who Knows?"

The rest of the journey was surprisingly peaceful, filled mainly with talk between Danni and Grace about their plans for the evening and whether Grace could invite someone round for dinner the next day. In no time they were pulling up outside of the school.

"Be good today Gracie Bean, I'll be back at three to pick you up" Danni promised her daughter. Grace nodded as she unbuckled herself and leaned through the gap between the front chairs.

"Bye Mamma" She said happily, kissing Danni on the cheek. "Goodbye Uncle Steve" she said, her voice becoming more polite as she nodded at him before withdrawing her head and scooting across the seat and pushing the door open. Seconds late the door was slammed shut and Grace was running across the grass towards a small group of girls nearby who all called her name, their faces lighting up at the sight of her.

Steve waited until he was sure they were alone before he turned to look at Danni.

"Hospital now Danni, I'll make it an order if I have to" He told her, making sure that his tone made it clear how serious he was about their next destination.

For a moment he thought she was going to argue with him but instead she merely nodded with a sigh.

"Hospital" She agreed, pulling away from the kerb and heading in the direction of the hospital.

Steve concern and sense of dread increased with every moment.

Somehow it felt like he was going to lose it all and there was nothing he could do to prevent it.

* * *

Author Note

 **Thanks for taking the time to read. An especially big thank you if you have left me a review, favourite the story or decided to follow it.**

 **I really appreciate it**


	3. Do what's best for you

Dark Roller-Coaster

By

Landon Richardson and TealRose

Official Disclaimer

 **The characters of Lieutenant Commander Steven 'Steve' McGarrett, Detective Chin Ho Kelly, Officer Kono Kalakaua, Agent Jenna Kaye, Adam 'Toast' Charles, Malia Waincroft and Lieutenant Freddie Hart do not belong to me in any shape or form. I am merely using them for my own entertainment purposes.**

 **The character of Detective Sergeant Danielle 'Danni' Williams probably can be considered to be mine by now. Although she was originally based on male Danny, she soon evolved becoming her own person. She has her own background, her own family, her own history and her own distinct personality. This isn't to say that the Danny Williams we all know and love is completely gone, he still emerges through her at times. I like to think of female Danni as what Danny could have been if everything in his life had gone his way. As in full custody of Grace and a decent relationship with his ex.**

 **The character of Grace has also changed slightly due to the change in Danni. Her surname is Taylor as this is her father's surname and was Danni's married name (Danni reverted back to her maiden name when she was divorced). Her parents also are amicable which has also impacted Grace but never fear, she's still the sweetheart we know and love, and if anything she's more a sweetheart now.**

 **The character of Special Agent Jack O'Connor, Major David Williams, Lieutenant Commander Riley King, Nyla Leon, Duncan Taylor, also belongs to me as does any other character who you do not recognise from the show. Please do not use them, or my version of Danni and Grace without first asking for my permission to do so.**

 **Thank you.**

Author Note

 **Here's the next chapter for you all.**

 **Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read this story**

 **Please enjoy**

Official Summary

 **One night is all it took to put Steve McGarrett newly achieved happiness at risk. Now he has to decide what's best. What he wants and needs or the needs of his team. Either way, someone is going to lose. (Steve x female Danni)**

Chapter Summary

 **Danni hated hospitals. Always had done and always would do. Nothing good ever came out of going there and she knew if she could that she would turn and drive away and focus her attention on the job but she knew that she couldn't this time.**

Overall Romances

 **Hints of Steve McGarrett / Danni Williams (McDanni)**

 **Mentions of past Duncan Taylor / Danni Williams (Dunni)**

 **Mentions of past Chin Ho Kelly / Malia Waincroft (Chalia)**

 **Nyla Leon / Hunter Leon (Hunla)**

Chapter Romances

 **Hints of Steve McGarrett / Danni Williams (McDanni)**

Warning

 **This story features a female Danni Williams in place of a male Danny Williams. Although in some stories I write, Danny does exist, he does not exist in this one.**

 **If this isn't your cup of tea than please turn back now.**

Other note

 **I do not have a Beta so please forgive any mistakes which may creep in, I always do my best to edit the story and check it but sometimes mistakes do creep in.**

 **The places I've mentioned in Hawaii are ones which come from google, including the addresses. I've never been to Hawaii myself in person so I apologise for any mistakes which I may make, these are not intentional.**

* * *

Chapter Three

Do what's best for you

* * *

Danni hated hospitals. Always had done and always would do. Nothing good ever came out of going there and she knew if she could that she would turn and drive away and focus her attention on the job but she knew that she couldn't this time. Not only because her partner was next to her, watching her closely to make sure that she didn't do the very thing which she was thinking of doing but also because whether she wanted to admit it or not she was in a great deal of pain.

She had barely slept after the attack, instead sitting up in the bed, her eyes fixed on Steve's still, sleeping form as she tried desperately to wrap her head around what happened. Every instinct in her had screamed at her to protect herself and her child by eliminating the threat but she knew it wasn't as easy as that. What would have been easy would have been throwing Steve out of her house and locking the doors behind him. What would have easy was getting the locks changed and making sure that the man never passed her threshold again but she couldn't do that.

What Steve needed was help, he needed support. What he didn't need was one of the only people he trusted turning her back on him and so she had pushed her instincts aside and watched him, tensing every time he made a move before finally the need for sleep had claimed her.

The morning had been strange, a mixture of how it used to be and a new wariness, not just in her but in Grace as well. She had been right when she had assured Steve that Grace would understand but what she had failed to factor in was Grace's protective streak when it came to herself, a protective streak which rivalled her own. Grace was wary of Steve now which placed Danni in a dilemma over whether she could allow the man to stay with them anymore.

She wanted him near so she could keep an eye on him but she had to place the warfare of her child before all else. It was hers and Grace's home and she couldn't allow herself to forget that. She needed Grace to feel safe at all times and if she no longer felt safe with Steve there, then there was only one option available to her, however much she may not have wanted to take it.

Focusing her thoughts she pulled the car into a free parking space and killed the engine, leaning forward slightly in her chair so she could see the building in front of her. It was beginning to look as familiar to her as her own house was, she had been there that many times.

She glanced towards Steve, unsurprised to see him staring at her.

"You should head in" He said.

"Yeah, that's why we're here after all" She remarked before she frowned slightly. "You? Are you not coming in with me?" She queried.

"I'll catch up, I just need to make a couple of phone calls" He replied, shifting on the seat and reaching into the pocket of his cargo pants, pulling out his cell phone. She glanced towards it before she shrugged, reaching down and killed the engine pulling out the keys. "You might as well hold onto these. Make sure you lock the car before you come in" She said, dropping the keys into his hand before she pushed her door open and stepped out, closing the door behind her.

She breathed out, setting her shoulders and headed towards the entrance, ignoring the people she could see milling outside of the door and resisting the urge to adjust the scarf around her neck. The material was brushing against the sensitive skin but she ignored it, knowing that any attention she brought to the injury would send Steve into another fit of guilt again. Something which wasn't helping either of them.

Danni headed into the hospital, looking around her before she headed to the reception desk, thankful to see that it was empty of other people waiting to register. The chairs in the waiting area were crowded but she ignored them and instead focused her attention on the young woman behind the desk who wore a frazzled expression as she typed away at something on her computer.

She stood for a moment, smiling at the woman when she finally looked up at her.

"Can I help?" The woman asked, her eyes moving over Danni clearly looking for a sign of an injury, her eyes landed on the scarf, a frown coming to her face before her gaze flickered up.

"Hi, I'm Detective Danni Williams I'm looking for Nyla Leon, she's a nurse here." Danni said.

"Nurse Leon" The woman repeated, turning back to the computer, she typed something in before she nodded and looked back at Danni.

"She's working on the third floor today in the general surgery today" The woman said, her gaze flickering past Danni, from the look of interest which crossed the woman features it was clear to Danni that Steve had joined her again. A feeling which was confirmed when she looked over her shoulder before she smiled at the woman when she spoke again. "Would you like me to call her down?" She asked.

Danni considered the question for a moment before she nodded.

"If you could then I would appreciate it" She said, moving to one side, tilting her head to the side as Steve came to her side, a slight frown on his face. "Everything okay?" She asked him.

"Fine" He replied, reaching up and running a hand through his hair, the action causing her to raise an eyebrow at him.

"Want to run that one by me again?" She questioned. For a moment he remained silent before he shrugged.

"First call I made was to Chin to tell him that we were running late and that he was in charge until we get there and then I called my therapist, he's managed to fit me in at one o clock for an appointment" He told her, searching her expression closely as though he was trying to read her mind. Knowing Steve that was exactly what he was trying to do.

She nodded, closing her eyes for a moment, a wave of relief going through her that Steve had booked in with his therapist. Although she had told him that he needed to do it there had been a part of her which had assumed that he would find a way of not doing it.

"That's good" She said finally as she opened her eyes again, listening to announcement over the tanoy for Nyla to come to the reception. She remained quiet, keeping her eyes focused on the room rather than Steve. She knew he wanted to talk to her, probably about what had happened the night before but she couldn't bring herself to.

"Danni, I… we need to…" He began to say, stopping when a second voice cut through his words attracting both their attention.

"Danni girl, what brings you here?"

Danni smiled, twisting round just as Nyla Leon bridged the gap between them, hugging Danni tightly for a moment before she moved back, her eyes moving past to Steve who she shot a smile at before looking back at Danni with a questioning look.

"Hey Nyla, sorry to call you down but it's not a social call" Danni said, hiding a wince at the sudden concerned look which came to the older woman's face.

"Not a social call" She repeated before she sucked the air in, her hand reaching out and gripping Danni's elbow. "Is it Chin? Is my brother okay?" She demanded, her dark eyes moving between them.

"He's fine" Danni assured her quickly. "Steve spoke to him a short time ago"

"That's right" Steve agreed with a nod. "He was already at the computer getting our tech guys to run some diagnostics so he's completely in his element right now."

"Good, I thought he would be but you never know with your line of work" She commented, her shoulders slumping down in relief. "So what can I do for you?" She queried.

Danni bit down on her lower lip, glancing around the room again before she focused on the other woman.

"Is it possible we could go somewhere private?" She asked quietly. Nyla's eyes widened for a moment before she nodded her head.

"Yeah, we can go into one of the empty rooms" She said, jabbing her finger in the direction behind them through the closed doors behind them.

"That would be good" Danni said before she turned to look at Steve. "Would you mind staying here?" She asked him, ignoring the emotions which crossed his face before he nodded.

"If you want me to" He said after a pause. "I still have a few calls I can make"

"Thanks, I won't be long" She promised before turning back to Nyla. "Shall we?" Nyla nodded at her, making a motion with her hand for Danni to follow her before she twisted on the spot heading towards the door. Danni spared Steve another smile before she headed after Nyla, catching up with her quickly. They remained quiet until Nyla led her into an empty room and ushered her in, closing the door behind her before she turned back to face her.

"What can I do for you? Is everything okay?" She asked.

Danni breathed out, glancing round the room for a moment before she moved to the bed and lowered herself onto it, her eyes coming up to focus on Nyla who was looking at her with growing concerned.

"I'm sorry to come to you but I didn't know who else to come to. I need you to look at something and tell me whether you think I need a Doctor" She said, watching Nyla's eyebrow shoot out. Clearly whatever it was which she thought Danni had wanted to talk to her about it wasn't this.

"Okay, I can take a look for you if you want to show me what it is" Nyla responded, turning away from Danni and heading over to a metal tray where Danni saw a box which no doubt contained gloves. Biting her lower lip she reached up and untied her scarf slowly unravelling it from her neck and holding it tightly in her hand. "Right let's see what…" Nyla's voice trailed off, her eyes landing on the bruise. "Jesus Danni, what the hell happened to you?" She demanded, moving fast across the room and coming to a stop of her, reaching up with her gloved hand and lightly touching the injury, the gentle touch making Danni wince in pain. "How did this happen?" She asked.

"It was a misunderstanding" Danni replied.

"A misunderstanding?" Nyla repeated, bending down to give it a closer look before she shook her head. "I'm going to have to grab a Doctor to have a look at this Danni, are you okay to wait here for a short time?" She asked, smiling when Danni nodded. She reached out and patted Danni on the shoulder. "Good I won't be long" She promised before she hurried towards the door.

Danni stared after her for a moment before she frowned looking around the room again. She pushed herself off the bed and headed over to the mirror on the wall and looked into it, swallowing hard when she saw how bad the bruise looked in the light, it looked worse than when she had seen it in the mirror that morning when she had gone into the en-suite.

Her mind swirled as she stared at it, remembering Steve words from the night before when he said that he could have killed her. Just how close has she come to death at her partner's hands? She had seen the state he was in afterwards. Was he in that big a state because he had known that he was about to kill her? Would it happen again? Could she risk it happening again?

"Detective Williams?"

Danni closed her eyes for a second, giving herself a moment to focus before she turned round and found herself confronted with a pretty older woman who had curly dark hair and dark eyes.

"That's me" Danni responded, moving towards the bed again.

"I'm Doctor Waincroft, Nurse Leon says that… ahh never mind, I see" Doctor Waincroft said, a sympathetic look coming to her face as her eyes dropped to Danni's face. "I expect your injury is causing you some discomfort."

"You could say that" Danni responded on a sigh as she sat down again, returning the Doctor's smile as the other woman moved towards her.

The next five minutes was taken up by Doctor's Waincroft's examination. Danni answering her questions when she was asked.

"There's nothing much I can do unfortunately except to give you a prescription for the pain" The Doctor stated as she leaned back, clearly finished with what she was doing. "You'll have to rest your voice as much as possible since there is bruising on the larynx and voice box. Do you work with HPD?" She asked as she picked up a clipboard and began writing on it using the pen she pulled out from her pocket.

"I used to but then I was transferred over to Five-O" She replied, her eyes narrowing slightly when Doctor Waincroft froze for a moment, her eyes flickering up.

"I've heard about them" The other woman remarked, an undercurrent to her voice which Danni couldn't quite grasp. The other woman sounded almost upset about something. Danni made a humming sound at the back of her throat remaining quiet until Doctor Waincroft spoke again. "Was this an injury in the line of duty?" She queried lightly, the tone placing Danni on edge.

"No it wasn't" Danni replied.

"Were you assaulting when you were out and about?" Doctor Waincroft pushed, looking up in time to see Danni shake her head. "So it happened while you were at home? Is anyone living with you at the moment who can help you if need be?"

"My daughter and my work partner are living with me though it's a temporary arrangement with my partner while his house is fixed up" Danni said, the comment causing Doctor Waincroft to nod.

"That would be Commander McGarrett right? One of the other nurses mentioned that he was walking a hole into the floor with the amount of pacing he is currently doing in the waiting room" The Doctor remarked dryly, her mouth curving up into a half smile.

"That sounds like him" Danni answered with a shake of her head.

"And he was there with you last night when this happened?"

Danni froze for a moment, feeling sick at what the Doctor was implying. She could hardly fault the other woman who was clearly only doing her job but it still made her eyes narrow.

"Let me stop you there Doctor Waincroft-" Danni began to say.

"Call me Malia" The Doctor interrupted.

"Okay Malia" Danni corrected herself before she continued. "I know where you're going with this questions and you're wrong. Steve is not beating me up behind closed doors, he would never lay a hand on me when he's in his right mind." She told the other woman, her hand curling into a fist when Malia shot her a searching look.

"So Commander McGarrett didn't injure you last night?" Malia asked. Danni remained quiet for a moment, swallowing hard before Malia spoke again "What you say in this room Detective Williams is protected by the Doctor and patient confidentiality act which I'm sure you already know." She remarked mildly. Danni licked her lips nervously, glancing towards the door before she spoke in a quiet voice.

"He didn't mean it, he wasn't aware of his actions" She admitted

"I take it that the Commander suffers from a form of PTSD, something which isn't unusual given what I imagine his service record is like" Malia asked, seating herself on the bed beside Danni

"He does" Danni remarked after a moment. Malia remained quiet as well before she spoke.

"Do you feel safe with him in the house with you?" She asked her

"I trust Steve" Danni responded instantly.

"That's good giving the fact that you are partners but that doesn't answer my question Detective Williams. Do you feel safe having the Commander staying in the same house as you and your young daughter?" Malia pressed.

Danni considered the question carefully before she shook he head.

"No" She whispered, barely able to get the word out. "Look, I need to go, if I can just get my prescription then I would appreciate it. I have to get to work" Danni stated, coming to her feet and bringing the scarf up wrapping it carefully round her neck, making sure that it covered the bruise.

"Of course" Malia said coming to her feet as well. She produced a pad from her pocket and wrote something down which she handed to Danni. "This is your prescription and this…" She said producing something else from her pocket which she held out to her. "Is my card, if you need to talk to anyone well I'm qualified" She commented.

Danni looked down at the card before she looked back at Malia and nodded.

"Thank you" Danni said, slipping the card into her bag. "Could you tell Nyla that I will see her later" She asked, smiling at the other woman when she nodded before she hurried out of the room and headed back towards the waiting room.

Her mind racing with thoughts which she couldn't grasps.

Thoughts which she had the feeling that she didn't want to grasp since they would probably leave her upset.

She felt torn, her heart aching and what she knew she had to do even if she didn't want to.

She just didn't see what other choice she had.

* * *

Author Note

 **Thanks for taking the time to read. An especially big thank you if you have left me a review, favourite the story or decided to follow it.**

 **I really appreciate it**


	4. What did you expect?

Dark Roller-Coaster

By

Landon Richardson and TealRose

Official Disclaimer

 **The characters of Lieutenant Commander Steven 'Steve' McGarrett, Detective Chin Ho Kelly, Officer Kono Kalakaua, Agent Jenna Kaye, Adam 'Toast' Charles, Malia Waincroft and Lieutenant Freddie Hart do not belong to me in any shape or form. I am merely using them for my own entertainment purposes.**

 **The character of Detective Sergeant Danielle 'Danni' Williams probably can be considered to be mine by now. Although she was originally based on male Danny, she soon evolved becoming her own person. She has her own background, her own family, her own history and her own distinct personality. This isn't to say that the Danny Williams we all know and love is completely gone, he still emerges through her at times. I like to think of female Danni as what Danny could have been if everything in his life had gone his way. As in full custody of Grace and a decent relationship with his ex.**

 **The character of Grace has also changed slightly due to the change in Danni. Her surname is Taylor as this is her father's surname and was Danni's married name (Danni reverted back to her maiden name when she was divorced). Her parents also are amicable which has also impacted Grace but never fear, she's still the sweetheart we know and love, and if anything she's more a sweetheart now.**

 **The character of Special Agent Jack O'Connor, Major David Williams, Lieutenant Commander Riley King, Nyla Leon, Duncan Taylor, also belongs to me as does any other character who you do not recognise from the show. Please do not use them, or my version of Danni and Grace without first asking for my permission to do so.**

 **Thank you.**

Author Note

 **Here's the next chapter for you all.**

 **Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read this story**

 **Please enjoy**

Official Summary

 **One night is all it took to put Steve McGarrett newly achieved happiness at risk. Now he has to decide what's best. What he wants and needs or the needs of his team. Either way, someone is going to lose. (Steve x female Danni)**

Chapter Summary

 **Steve twisted his head, glancing towards Danni besides him. She had been silent since she had exited through the doors she had gone through back at the hospital, her eyes dark and her facial expression unreadable placing him on edge. Even the smile which she had shot him when her eyes had landed on him had a rare brittle quality to it which he wasn't used to seeing.**

Overall Romances

 **Hints of Steve McGarrett / Danni Williams (McDanni)**

 **Mentions of past Duncan Taylor / Danni Williams (Dunni)**

 **Mentions of past Chin Ho Kelly / Malia Waincroft (Chalia)**

 **Nyla Leon / Hunter Leon (Hunla)**

Chapter Romances

 **Hints of Steve McGarrett / Danni Williams (McDanni)**

 **Mentions of past Chin Ho Kelly / Malia Waincroft (Chalia)**

Warning

 **This story features a female Danni Williams in place of a male Danny Williams. Although in some stories I write, Danny does exist, he does not exist in this one.**

 **If this isn't your cup of tea than please turn back now.**

Other note

 **I do not have a Beta so please forgive any mistakes which may creep in, I always do my best to edit the story and check it but sometimes mistakes do creep in.**

 **The places I've mentioned in Hawaii are ones which come from google, including the addresses. I've never been to Hawaii myself in person so I apologise for any mistakes which I may make, these are not intentional.**

* * *

Chapter Four

What did you expect?

* * *

Steve twisted his head, glancing towards Danni besides him. She had been silent since she had exited through the doors she had gone through back at the hospital, her eyes dark and her facial expression unreadable placing him on edge. Even the smile which she had shot him when her eyes had landed on him had a rare brittle quality to it which he wasn't used to seeing.

He had expected her to demand the keys to the car from him but instead she had immediately walked over to the passenger side, waiting until he unlocked the doors before she had pulled it open and climbed in, shutting it behind her.

He wanted to ask her how it had gone with the Doctors but somehow he knew that she didn't want to talk about it with him. Sighing silently, he turned and looked back out of the window, half of him wishing they were at work, the other half of him dreading it especially as he knew that Danni's twin brother would be in the office and he doubted that the younger man would be quite as laid back about what happened as he was about most things.

Steve pulled the car into the Five-O car park, reversing into Danni's spot and killed the engine, glancing towards Danni as she leaned down and picked up her bag from her feet before she pushed the door open and stepped out. Steve following her looking over the roof of the car at her, a trickle of relief coursing through him when she finally spoke.

"It looks like the others are all here" She commented glancing towards him before she headed towards the entrance, Steve falling into place at her side.

"It's not a surprise giving what the time is" He responded with a shrug, holding the door open for her and following her into the air condition foyer, his eyes moving around them out of habit, taking everything in with a single glance.

"That's true I guess" She responded as she flashed her badge at the guards, allowing them to glance in her bag quickly before she and Steve stepped through the barrier bypassing the majority of checks that everyone else was having to go through.

"We've got that meeting with the SWAT team later on this afternoon, just after lunch" Steve told her, breaking the silence which had fallen between them again as they waited for one of the elevators to arrive on the ground floor. The comment brought a slight frown to her face as she tilted her head to the left so she could look at him directly.

"Do we all have to go to that training?" she asked him, the comment causing him to smile though he quickly hid it. It was no surprise to him that she would have asked him that, it was no secret that she hated any kind of activity like this.

"You're safe Danni, I need you to stay behind and take care of things in the office. It's me, Kono, Riley and David who are going this time round unless something comes up work wise though" He said before a smug tone came to his voice as he continued. "It will do Kono some good working with them. Russell has already mentioned quite a few times how he wants Kono on their team"

"Well he'll be waiting for a while. Kono is happy where she is with no plans on leaving us any time soon" Danni responded with a shrug, stepping into the elevator when the door slid open.

"That's always good to know" Steve said, hesitating for a second before he continued. "I know you're leaving at two thirty to get Gracie from school, should I… should I come round afterwards still?" He asked her.

Danni remained silent for a moment before she gave him a single nod.

"Yeah, we need to talk so we can do that later on at mine. I'll be heading to the supermarket after I pick up Grace because it's…"

"Mexican night" Steve finished for her, sharing a quick smile with her.

"Mexican night" She repeated as she moved out of the elevator and down the corridor. Steve came to her side resisting the urge to reach out and place his hand on her lower back like he often did. He had noted that each time he had touched her since last night she had tensed up as though she was nervous about having his hands on her, a reaction which he couldn't exactly blame her for.

They came to a stop in front of the door, Danni's hand coming up and adjusting the scarf as they shared a quick look before entering the room. The other members of the team were standing round the computer table, sipping their drinks as they talked, clearly relaxing as they waited for Steve and Danni to arrive.

"Hey guys" Steve called out, raising his hand up towards them in an attempt at a wave, his eyes flickering towards his office wondering whether he could disappear within.

"Morning guys, sorry we're slightly late" Danni added, her voice coming across as calm and normal, the tone attracting Steve's attention for a second as he wondered not for the first time how Danni had learnt to hide her emotions, especially negative emotions, so well.

"That's no problem Danni" Chin responded with a soft smile. "Steve rang up and said that something had come up that the two of you needed to tend to first. Get everything you need sorted?" He queried, his eyes flickering to Steve with a raised eyebrow.

"For the moment" Steve responded. "I'm guessing since everyone is standing around the computer table relaxing that we either have a new case or that all of your in-trays are now empty of files leaving you with nothing to do?" He asked, looking around their face, picking up on the sudden guilt looks which crossed over Kono Kalakaua's and Adam Charles's face. A sight which almost made him smile. Kono and Toast as Adam was better known as were the youngest on the team and it often showed though he could admit that both were a great deal more mature and experienced since they had first joined the team.

"Slave driver" He heard Kono mutter though he chose to let it go.

"There's always files to go through" Danni said with a shake of her head, her gaze shifting to her own office, no doubt thinking about what lay within for her to start on.

"Amen to that sister, I like your scarf by the way, very 50's era" Kono remarked before she twisted round on the spot as though she was about to head to her room.

Steve breathed a sigh of relief, some of the tension easing out of him when it suddenly slammed back into it at the sound of a familiar, though rarely heard voice.

"Danni, take off the scarf for me please"

Steve swallowed turning to look at David Williams, Danni's older twin brother who was staring at his sister with a look which placed Steve instantly on full alert. He glanced towards his partner, silently cursing when he realised that Danni's scarf has shifted ever so slightly, revealing the slightest hint of a bruise. It would have been enough for anyone else to overlook it thinking it was nothing more than a smudge but he should have known that Danni's twin would have realised instantly that something was wrong, especially when that same twin was a trained medic who had served with the Rangers.

The comment had been enough to alert the others who all turned back to look at Danni, their expressions making it clear that they now saw the same thing which David had seen.

"Why? Do you object to my fashion sense?" Danni asked mildly as she took a step back.

"No" David replied, his voice equally as calm as his sister's. "I object to what the scarf is hiding Danielle."

"Hiding?" Toast spoke up at this point, looking up from his computer screen and peering closely at her neck before his dark eyes widened. "Jesus Blondie, is there a case which we're running at the moment which none of us know about? Who hurt you Danni?" He demanded, his tone a mixture of anger and concern.

Steve remained silent, his hand curled into a fist at his side as Danni looked around her, her hand coming up automatically to cover her throat. He could almost see her mind racing as she tried to figure out a way of answering Toast's questions.

"Steve" Jack O'Connor said evenly "Did something happen last night or this morning?" He asked.

Steve swallowed again as he shrugged his shoulder, deciding to go the honest route. There was no point trying to lie to them, not only because they would see right through it but also because of the effect it would have on the team and the trust they had in each other. He breathed in deeply, eyes closing for a moment before he opened them and spoke.

"I had a flashback last night of something which had happened in my past and Danni… well Danni was too close to me in the aftermath" He admitted, his back stiffening when he heard the sharp intake of breathe which Kono made.

"I know what you're all thinking but this wasn't Steve's fault" Danni told them as she adjusted her scarf again, glancing round them all before she met Steve's eyes. "It's just… it's just one of those unfortunate things. If anything it's my fault for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I should have recognised the signs."

"Danni, how could you…" Chin began to say before his words trailed off.

Toast stared at them, his eyes moving between them rapidly as the slots of the puzzle seemed to sink into his head. He sucked in a breathe taking a step forward so he was in Steve's face, glaring down at the smaller man, his frame visibly shaking from the rage which was cleat in his dark eyes and expression. It was a look which Steve had never seen from the younger man.

"What do you mean that this wasn't his fault?" He demanded. "Was he not the one who attacked you and tried to kill you because that's not what the bruises you're trying to hide are saying? Is that why you were late this morning? Because I'm really trying to understand why you are blaming yourself for something which he did"

"Toast" Danni said sharply, a warning tone coming to her tone.

"No Danni" Toast said as he turned to her. "You know what you mean to me, you're like a big sister. I can't sit back and say nothing if you're being hurt regardless of the reasons behind it." He stated, the comment causing Steve's heart to ache as Danni's face softened at his words.

He watched as the others shared a speaking glance except for David who was staring out of the window with an unreadable look on his face before Chin spoke as he stepped forward and placed a calming hand on Toast's shoulder though whether it was to comfort Toast or to hold him back if he suddenly went for Steve he didn't know.

"You'll soon find out Toast that there is a downside to what we do. We do the right thing by putting the bad guy's away where they belong but there's a cost to taking someone's life even in the name of duty. It's a cost which I hope to god you never have to experience for yourself Toast because it will forever change you if you do."

"A cost?" Toast asked, tilting his head to the side so he could see Chin clearly.

"We experience dreams" The older man answered simply. "Sometimes the dreams are mild but other times they can be really bad, placing you back in situations which made you messed up the first time and resulting in confusion when you wake up because you don't know what reality is and what isn't. That can cause you to react in ways that you never react like if you were in your proper state of mind."

"Do you all suffer from them?" Toast asked, looking around them, his expression dropping when they all nodded at him.

"I remember one time there was a kid who was killed in a robbery, he couldn't' have been more than fourteen, hit by a stray bullet that the robber let off. There was nothing that I could have done, no way I could have saved him since he had bled out before anyone could get to him but I still blamed myself for his death, torturing myself over it for failing him when he needed help the most. One night I fell asleep at my parents and woke up swinging at my dad who had come to wake me up for dinner, gave him a black eyes and everything. It can hit you when you least expect it with no warning. The darker the past, the worse the dreams are" Chin explained, turning to look at Steve who nodded at him before his eyes moved back to David, watching the blonde man closely, unnerved slightly by his silence.

"Toast" Danni said softly, moving towards him and placing her hand on his arm, resting it there as though she was trying to comfort him. "I appreciate your concern for me and it means a lot but you don't have to worry. Steve is not abusing me in any shape or form and he never has. It's just like Chin says, something there can be a case or a situation which can trigger forgotten memories and that is what happened last night."

"So it could easily happen again?" Toast asked, the comment causing Danni to fall silently, an almost hunted expression coming to her face which made Steve take a quick step towards her, stopping when David's grey eyes swung round to focus on him with a look of warning.

"Tell me Toast, have you ever had something so bad happen to you that you dreamed about" Jack asked suddenly, breaking his silence. "The kind of dream that when you wake up from it you're shaking and sweating, trapped in that strange world where you're not quite sure if you're awake or you're asleep but you know that if someone else was around then something could happen to them, something which you would be responsible for because you could end up hurting them without meaning to? That, like Chin said is what the down side of the law enforcement profession is. It doesn't matter if you're a Detective or an officer or an agent or in the military, it's all the same. The dreams can become warped and affects you, it doesn't matter how mentally strong you are, one day it will get to you and when it does you then have to have a hard think, like whether it is an one off"

"That's why they have psychiatrists like Teddy and his team whose sole purpose is to help Officers and Detective on the force deal with everything we see and have to do. They also tend to lend a hand when it comes to giving a profile as well. They are available for talking twenty four seven though I think we may have made Danni and Jack into our unofficial psychiatrists" Chin remarked, his mouth curling into a slight smile before he became serious again.

"And what happened if you don't talk to someone?" Toast asked quietly, dropping his eyes from them all.

"Then it becomes a serious problem developing into PTSD or worse." David remarked quietly.

"Which is what McGarrett has?" Toast asked, looking towards Steve who gave him a single nod. "Well… in that case you can't stay with Danni and Gracie then right? I mean you've hurt Danni once so it stand to reason that if your PTSD has flared up then it could happen again right?" He asked.

"Possibly" Steve admitted, barely able to get the word out from his throat. "I have an appointment this afternoon at one to see my shrink so… we'll have to see what he says"

"There shouldn't be a possibly about it boss" Kono said with a frown, a hard note to her voice "You can't stay in a house with a child whether you want to or not."

"I think that decision is up to Danni to make Kono" Chin said, a warning tone to his voice which attracted Kono's attention.

"Will it happen to me as well?" Toast asked into the uneasy silence.

"You should be okay Toast" Danni told him as she squeezed down on his arm. "You don't head out into the field with us and you're not qualified to use a gun. You may get nightmares because of what you delve into here and you see but the chances that you will have to take a life are very small. However if you do feel that things are getting on top of you then you can speak to any of us about it, we can help you, just make sure that you don't bottle it in. We've all been through it before so if there is anyone who would understand what you're going through then it would be us" She said, taking a step away from him.

Steve breathed out, turning and heading away from the group towards his office, stepping into the room before he closed the door behind him, trying to breathe through the feeling of panic and sickness which came over him. Hating the fact that he knew they were right. He was a threat to Danni and Grace.

He heard a knock on his door but ignored it, burying his face into his hands as he hunched over his desk.

"Sounds like you had a rough night last night" Chin's voice said quietly, causing Steve to drop his hands and to look up in time to see the older man close the door and moved over to the desk. He dropped into the chair opposite Steve and remained quietly, clearly waiting for Steve to say something.

"Something like that" He said finally. "I always knew deep down that there was a chance that this may flare up again but it hasn't since…" His voice trailed off for a moment before he forced himself to continue. "It hasn't since I moved in with Danni while my own place is getting sorted. I haven't slept so well in ages and to know that it was Danni who I attacked. You know I almost killed her, I was going to kill her until she managed to get through to me. A second more and…" He stopped with a shuddered, unable to finish the sentence. "I don't blame the others for hating me, I deserve it for what I did. Danni should hate me and I'm sure David is just biding his time now before he does something" He said rubbing at his eyes.

"When I was being investigated by IA things were tough for me." Chin said in an expressionless voice as he shifted on the seat. "I was given the hardest assignments and left alone to deal with them as though the others were trying to test my resolve and to see whether they could still trust me. I accepted all the cases because I had no choice even though I knew the impact it would have on me. I woke up one day about a month into this new form of hazing to find myself on the floor with Malia beneath me and my gun against her head with my finger on the trigger. It was a fact that I wasn't going to bring up in front of the others" He said, looking away from Steve for a moment, clearly caught up in memories which only he could see.

"Chin I…" Steve began to say before Chin cut across him.

"David isn't biding his time before he does something. He may wish to talk to you or he may not, who knows what goes on in his head but that is one issue that you won't have to worry about. You got to remember as well with Danni that she understand better than most what we go through because she goes through it as well. There isn't a person here who truly believes that you would harm a hair on her head. As for what Toast said, well he hasn't experienced what we have experienced so he doesn't understand what it is like, on top of that he's always been soft on Danni, she's like a big sister to him or his Guardian Angel" He said with a shrug.

"She's everyone's Guardian Angel" Steve said rubbing at his forehead before he looked up. "I didn't know that had happened with Malia, I'm sorry man, that's a hard burden which you have had to live with."

"It is and you'll no doubt find this incident with Danni is something which you'll now have to live with. It's always harder to accept when the person who suffers is the person who you love more than anyone. You can't stay there anymore, you understand that right?" Chin asked sympathetically.

"I know" Steve said with a nod. "I've got an appointment at one with Doctor Goodman, on my way back to the office I'll stop by Danni's house and pack up my things and move out to a hotel where I can't harm anyone. You know Danni, it would tear her apart to ask me to go, this way I've taken the decision out of her hands."

"Just make sure you tell her why, you know how much she cares for you." Chin pointed out.

"I know, though God knows why she does" Steve commented.

"We should inform the SWAT team what happened as well, or rather just Russell. He needs to know what happened because of the training session later on. We don't know what might trigger you at the moment and the last thing we want…"

"Is another incident where I flip out and hurt someone else. I understand" Steve said steadily. "I'll give him a call shortly and let him know"

"Don't sweat it brah, I've got you covered in this. Me and Dominic Russell go way back together. He was one of the only people who never believed the IA witch hunt against me. You've got enough to be getting your head around at the moment without having to add a conversation like that into the mix" Chin remarked as he came to his feet.

"Thanks Chin, I owe you one" Steve said, sharing a smile with the older man and watched him leave the room, leaving Steve with nothing more than his thoughts.

* * *

Author Note

 **Thanks for taking the time to read. An especially big thank you if you have left me a review, favourite the story or decided to follow it.**

 **I really appreciate it**


	5. To Action

Dark Roller Coaster

By

Landon Richardson and TealRose

Official Disclaimer

 **The characters of Lieutenant Commander Steven 'Steve' McGarrett, Detective Chin Ho Kelly, Officer Kono Kalakaua, Agent Jenna Kaye, Adam 'Toast' Charles, Malia Waincroft and Lieutenant Freddie Hart do not belong to me in any shape or form. I am merely using them for my own entertainment purposes.**

 **The character of Detective Sergeant Danielle 'Danni' Williams probably can be considered to be mine by now. Although she was originally based on male Danny, she soon evolved becoming her own person. She has her own background, her own family, her own history and her own distinct personality. This isn't to say that the Danny Williams we all know and love is completely gone, he still emerges through her at times. I like to think of female Danni as what Danny could have been if everything in his life had gone his way. As in full custody of Grace and a decent relationship with his ex.**

 **The character of Grace has also changed slightly due to the change in Danni. Her surname is Taylor as this is her father's surname and was Danni's married name (Danni reverted back to her maiden name when she was divorced). Her parents also are amicable which has also impacted Grace but never fear, she's still the sweetheart we know and love, and if anything she's more a sweetheart now.**

 **The character of Special Agent Jack O'Connor, Major David Williams, Lieutenant Commander Riley King, Nyla Leon, Duncan Taylor, also belongs to me as does any other character who you do not recognise from the show. Please do not use them, or my version of Danni and Grace without first asking for my permission to do so.**

 **Thank you.**

Author Note

 **Here's the next chapter for you all.**

 **Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read this story**

 **Please enjoy**

Official Summary

 **One night is all it took to put Steve McGarrett newly achieved happiness at risk. Now he has to decide what's best. What he wants and needs or the needs of his team. Either way, someone is going to lose. (Steve x female Danni)**

Chapter Summary

 **Danni threw her pencil down on the open file in front of her and lifted her hands to her eyes, rubbing tiredly at them before she trailed her fingertips down her face to her scarf.**

Overall Romances

 **Hints of Steve McGarrett / Danni Williams (McDanni)**

 **Mentions of past Duncan Taylor / Danni Williams (Dunni)**

 **Mentions of past Chin Ho Kelly / Malia Waincroft (Chalia)**

 **Nyla Leon / Hunter Leon (Hunla)**

Chapter Romances

 **Hints of Steve McGarrett / Danni Williams (McDanni)**

 **Mentions of past Chin Ho Kelly / Malia Waincroft (Chalia)**

Warning

 **This story features a female Danni Williams in place of a male Danny Williams. Although in some stories I write, Danny does exist, he does not exist in this one.**

 **If this isn't your cup of tea than please turn back now.**

Other note

 **I do not have a Beta so please forgive any mistakes which may creep in, I always do my best to edit the story and check it but sometimes mistakes do creep in.**

 **The places I've mentioned in Hawaii are ones which come from google, including the addresses. I've never been to Hawaii myself in person so I apologise for any mistakes which I may make, these are not intentional.**

* * *

Chapter Five

To action

* * *

Danni threw her pencil down on the open file in front of her and lifted her hands to her eyes, rubbing tiredly at them before she trailed her fingertips down her face to her scarf. She lingered for a moment on the material before sighing and working at the knot, pulling the scarf off and dropping it on her desk. She gently rubbed at her throat wincing at the tenderness and pain the simple movement caused her and made a mental note in her mind to pick up the prescription of painkillers Doctor Waincroft has written her as soon as she could.

She would have to do it quietly, without anyone else being aware that she was on the painkillers since it would get back to Steve and his guilt would end up increasing yet again.

The day at the office had been slow and uneventful giving her a chance to catch up on her paperwork. Steve had disappeared at one and had yet to return as far as she could tell leaving her in charge of the team. She was beyond thankful that there was only thirty minutes of her day left before she could leave to pick up Grace from school, a trip to the supermarket for food would follow that and then it would be cooking time.

Cooking time which would allow her to figure out exactly what she would say to Steve later on once Grace was in bed and asleep. It was a conversation she wasn't looking forward to. The last thing she wanted was for Steve to leave and yet what other choice was there. She would never admit it out loud but she would miss his presence in her home having quickly gotten used to it. The thought of him having to spend his time in a hotel room or with another member of the team other than herself hurt her more than she was willing to admit.

"It looks bad you know"

Danni blinked as she looked up, her eyes landing on her twin brother, cursing him ability to move silently. God know he had used the ability when they were younger to scare her. He moved into the room, skirting round her desk so they were on the same side and perched himself on the edge of it, identical grey eyes to hers looking down at her with a look of concern.

"I know" She said on a sigh, leaning back in the chair and picking the scarf up, tying it round her neck again and listening to David as he began speaking.

"I'm guessing you've been to see a Doctor and that was the reason why you were late?" He asked her, making a knowing sound when she nodded at him. "What did they say?"

"Severe bruising to all areas of the throat. I'm to rest it as much as possible and to take painkillers, she gave me a prescription for them." Danni remarked, closing her eyes in pain for a moment before she forced them back open.

"Have you got the painkillers?" He asked her with a frown which grew when she shook her head at him.

"After work" She told him, "Or rather after I've picked up Grace" She glanced outside the window, surprised to see both Kono, Jack and Riley King, the last member of their taskforce standing at the computer table. "I didn't know Riley was in today."

"He said something about having the dentist earlier" David said offhandedly, looking back over his shoulder for a second before focusing back on her again.

"Aren't the four of you meant to be with SWAT doing training exercises?" She queried.

"They cancelled on us, apparently something has come up so their boss said that they would contact McGarrett and figure out another date though when they say McGarrett I'm guessing that they will actually end up calling you instead because you're the one who deals with all of this sort of thing." David commented before he sighed, reaching up and running his hand through his short, blond hair. "How are you feeling?" He asked suddenly, his voice lowering again

"I'm in pain but it's nothing new, I've been in pain before and survived" Danni responded, picking up her pen from the table again.

"I meant mentally how are you feeling? Have you process what happened to you last night?" He questioned, ignoring her remark about pain.

Danni remained silent for a while, rolling the pen between her fingertips before she spoke.

"I haven't really thought about it, I'm trying not to think about it to be absolutely honest with you" David looked at her again, opening his mouth to say something when there was a knock on the door. Danni glanced up, shooting Toast a questioning look when he stuck his head around the door, his dark eyes flickering briefly between the two of them before he spoke.

"Sorry to interrupt Blondie but we've got an emergency. SWAT been called in to a scene and they just rang through requesting emergency backup from us." He announced before withdrawing his head from the room.

"Guess we know why they had to cancel on us now" David commented lightly as he pushed himself back to his feet.

"I guess so" Danni agreed on a sigh, cursing the criminal element of Hawaii as she came to her feet as well, reaching into the pot on her desk and pulling out the small key from within. She inserted it into her desk drawer and unlocked it, pulling out her service weapon from within. She checked the clip before looking up at David surprised that he had waited for her. "Let's go and hear what's happened this time" She said, moving round the desk and towards the door, aware of her twin coming to her side.

They headed out of her office and towards the computer table where the rest of the team, including Steve stood, making her wonder when her partner had arrived back at the office and why he hadn't come to tell her that he was back like he normally did on the rare time he went out without her.

"Toast, you want to fill us in on what's happening" Steve said, his eyes flickering to Danni's searching them closely before he looked back at Toast as the man started talking.

"We got a call from SWAT saying that they were in the middle of a hostage situation which included several high people of interest" Toast said.

"The call came from SWAT?" Steve commented with a frown. "Normally when it's a hostage situation she won't hear about it until the call comes from the Governor. You haven't received any calls from her today Danno have you?" He queried, looking towards her. She shook her head, opening her mouth to speak, closing it when Toast beat her to it.

"That's there is the problem, you won't have received a call from the Governor because she's right bang in the centre of it. She's one of the hostages which is why SWAT want out help"

"What was she doing there in the first place?" Kono asked, her dark eyes widening at the news.

"She was meant to be cutting the ribbon for the new office buildings for some company, apparently they are some sort of big deal. One of those firms who say they are going to cut costs for something which would help the economy. It was in the newspaper or something." Toast said with a shrug, looking towards Chin when the older man spoke.

"I remember that, it was in the newspaper. They are some sort of electricity firm who has managed to find a cheaper way of doing it or something. They have offices all over the mainland but this was the first one they were opening in Hawaii."

"That's the one, anyway they were giving the VIPs including the Governor a tour of the new building when they were ambushed by a group of weapon wielding people. SWAT said that so far there had been no ransom call from them and every attempted which they have made to try and initiate contact with the kidnappers has failed so they are going to take the place and they need us to go and provide them with backup" Toast commented, reaching up and rubbing at his neck nervously as he continued to speak. "Dominic wants me to head down with you guys to provide technical backup because apparently Jayden is on vacation this week so I'll have to set myself up in their van or something because we don't actually have a van which has the equipment needed though you know maybe we should think about getting one which I can then pimp up"

"Pimp up?" Steve repeated with a raised eyebrow.

"Hey" Danni said, attracting Toast's attention and ignoring Steve for the moment. "You've got nothing to worry about, you'll be fine at the crime scene. The van will no doubt be the safest place to be" She informed with him a smile which grew when some of the tension eased out of his shoulders. "We should probably head down there, is everyone ready?" She asked, nodding with a look of satisfaction when they all made sound of confirmation. "Good" She stated before turning back to her office.

She grabbed her bag from beneath her bag and made sure her computer was locked and that she had everything which she needed before she headed back out the office door, whistling and attracting Steve's attention before she threw the keys to the Camaro at him, noting as she did that the rest of the team were already dispersing through the exit. She followed them, glancing towards Steve as they made their way down to the ground floor in the elevator and out into the warm sunshine.

She pulled her cell phone out of her bag and glance at the screen before she pressed the number six button and brought the handset to her ear, waiting patiently for the phone to be answered as she pulled open the door to the passenger and climbed in. She would have to make arrangements for Grace to be picked up from her school since the chances of her being able to do it now would be almost zero.

"I'm sorry Danni"

Danni blinked, looking towards Steve surprised to see him looking at her with soft eyes which made her eyes skip a beat though she forced herself to ignore it. She was already confused without adding anything more to it.

"Sorry about what?" Danni said with a slight frown before she held her hand up at Steve, indicating for him to remain quiet when Amy's familiar voice came over the line with a hello. "Hey Amy, how are things? I hate to call you at the last minutes but I need a favour from you I…"

"Stop right there Danni" Amy stated, stopping Danni mid-sentence. "I've already had Meka on the phone to me about ten minutes ago telling me about the situation brewing down town. Trust the Governor to get herself right in the middle of it. If the woman had more common sense than we would all be a lot better off for it. I'll pick Gracie up from school and take her back to mine. You can pick her up from there once you've cleared the mess up and while I remember we're hosting a dinner at ours next week so make sure you are ready and bring Steve with you as well. It's time we met him properly" She stated, the tone of her voice making it clear that she wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Understood" Danni replied weakly. "Thank you for doing this Amy, I really appreciate it. You're on the list of people who are allowed to take Grace from school so there won't be any issues but if there are then call me and put me on to anyone who I need to speak to."

"Good, I'll talk to you more about it when you get here, I've no idea what Steve eats so…"

"I'll let you know later on, I've got to go now so I'll speak to you later Amy" she stated before she hung up the phone. She was aware of Steve's eyes flickering between the road and her as he drove through the traffic effortlessly, lights and sirens going in sync. She spoke, breaking the silence. "Amy wants us to go round their house on Tuesday for dinner, do you think you'll be able to make it?"

"She does?" Steve asked in surprised, looking towards her.

"That's what she said, it's easier to just go with the flow when it comes to Amy but if you have plans then let me know now and I'll let her know in advance" She commented, moving awkwardly in her seat. He was quiet for a short time before he nodded at her.

"I'll make sure that I'm around for the evening" He said with a nod at her.

Danni nodded, glancing at the side mirror to see Chin and Kono driving behind them, she couldn't see their expressions but she doubted that either of them would be happy about the way the day had turned out. None of them liked getting cases late in the day since it nearly always meant that they would have to cancel any plans they may have had. She sighed, reaching up and adjusting her scarf absently before she spoke.

"Maybe we'll get lucky for once and the whole situation would have blown over by the time we arrived and we can head off again. I'll need to head over to Amy's to get Grace now" She remarked, leaning her head back against the seat, closing her eyes as she forced herself to focus on the problem at hand.

The hostage situation was the last thing which she needed at that moment in time. What she needed was for things to be normal, for her to go and get Grace, cook their meal and then speak to Steve. She had already had one brush of death that day and she didn't really relish the thought of having another one.

"Danni…" Steve began to say, something in his voice making her turn to him and reach out, her hand landing on Steve's arm, the muscle flexing beneath her fingertips before he settled. She spoke, a firm note coming to her voice.

"You don't get to shoulder the blame for this one Steve. This is my job, it's what I do and that is that. This isn't the first time I've had to deal with last minute childcare issues because a case as come in and it won't be the last time it happens either so let's just head over there and get this situation sorted. We take the bastards down, we share witty banter with our SWAT buddies and then we head home. That is all I want right now, for us to finish and to head home."

Steve nodded as they screeched to a halt beside the SWAT van and turned to her as he reached down and undid his seatbelt.

"We'll deal with this Danni and then we'll head back to yours for the Mexican. I hear you loud and clear."

"Good" Danni replied, moving her hand away from his forearm and pushed the car door open and stepped back. She glanced over the hood of the car, rolling her eyes when he shut the door behind him and pocketed her keys. Since they had started living together he had given up even the pretence of ever giving them back to her. The normality of the scene helped ease some of the tension brewing in her as they moved over to the van which was being used as a command centre. The rest of their team filing in behind them.

Five familiar men were inside looking at screens though they turned to look at them.

"Hey" Steve said, stepping forward and gripping the hand of the lead man before he continued speaking. "What Intel can you give us" He demanded, receiving five identical roll eyes from the men who was more than use to dealing with Steve when he was in mission mode.

"Glad that you and your team could finally join us at the party McGarrett, we were beginning to think that we were going to have all the fun today" Dominic Russell, head of SWAT commented causing Steve to smirk at him. The sight making Danni smile as well.

"You know that the Governor wants us all to share" Steve replied, an undercurrent of amusement beneath his business like tone.

"Hello Nic" Danni said warmly. "Sorry to cut the banter short but we have places we need to be right now" She told the Texan man in front of her, the comment causing him to nod at her.

"Sorry Darling" He replied, the term of affection natural from him rather than cringe worthy. "Your boyfriend brings out my naturally competitive side"

Danni rolled her eyes at him, too used to the comments to get offended by it. The majority of people who they met tended to think that Steve and Danni were a couple or married. Experience had taught her that it was useless to try and dissuade anyone from that view.

"Tell us what we're working with here" Steve stated again.

Dominic nodded, his face becoming grim as he pointed down at the blueprints which were spread out on the table behind him.

"We've got fifteen hostages in there including the Governor and some other high profile targets. We've got snipers spread out and they've been able to see that there are at least two of the hostages who are injured though from the fact that are still moving we can assume that they aren't too severely hurt. There's at least five gunmen that we can see but there are bound to be more. Looks like they are all using assault rifles as well." He explained to them.

"How are you wanted to play this then Russell?" Steve questioned thoughtfully as he crossed his arms over his chest and pulled absently at his lower lip, his eyes lowered to the blueprints, clearly committing them to memory.

"We've got to get in that building which is why I've asked our computer genius over there to leave the safety of his lair and come down here. The gunmen took out the security system somehow, we don't know whether they hacked into it or somehow corrupted it but we need access to that system so we have eyes. If we can't get that then we'll have to go the old fashion way and break through a window and we both know how well that tends to turn out. They'll be on us before the glass has even finished shattering." Dominic answered, his eyes focusing on Toast who was standing nearby beside Jack, a slight smile on his face.

"Great" Danni said, looking towards Steve when he automatically put his hand on her lower back as though he was trying to comfort her. Somehow she doubted whether the realised he had done it, so engrained in him the action was.

"Coming on Nico, I thought you were bringing me down here for something challenging" Toast remarked as he cracked his knuckles ignoring his teams amused look at him, there were time when Toast reminded them all of a kid at a candy store and this was one of those times.

Dominic rolled his eyes at the nickname which Toast had used though Danni noticed that the other man's mouth quirked upwards into a small smile. It always amused her how Toast somehow got away with nicknaming people and how it just seemed to happen.

"You can set up over there Toast" Dominic remarked.

Toast ignored their looks as he picked up his kit with his computer equipment and headed over to the area which Dominic had pointed to. Danni looked towards Steve, meeting his eyes, thankful when a look of understanding came to his gaze as he nodded at her, before turning his attention to the team.

"Kono go with him and look after him just in case. Toast wouldn't know what to do with a gun even if one was handed to him" Steve remarked. Kono grinned at the comment, her eyes briefly moving to Danni, nodding at her before she spoke

"You got it boss, I'll keep Toast safe and out of trouble" She promised before she followed him away from the van and towards the designated area.

"Chin you're going to be in charge of the secondary team" Steve said, taking his hand away from Danni's back and tapping his fingertip against the blue print. "Take Riley, Jack and David with you for your team and two members of the SWAT team who Russell will allocate to him. Danni and I will go with the remaining members of SWAT and take the front of the building. We'll try and attract as much of their fire power as we can so that you guys can sneak in and get the hostages out hopefully with no further injuries"

"You got it Steve" Chin answered, his attention moving to Danni when she sighed.

"We really need to hire someone else Steve who can be Riley's partner. I don't like knowing that he doesn't have one yet." She stated.

"A partner may be good" Rile commented from where he was leaning against the door of the van.

"When we get out of here Danni then we can discuss it" Steve told her before he looked at Dominic. "You ready?"

"We were born ready" Dominic stated with a grin.

"Toast is ready as well" Kono said as she approached them, making a motion with her head to follow her before she disappeared again. They followed her, eyes landing on Toast as he turned to look at them with a smirk on his face.

"You know you could have given me something more challenging which would have been a lot more fun for me. This was child's play, whoever they hired to do this for them is an amateur" He stated confidently.

"That's my boy" Danni said, unable to keep the fond note out of her voice.

"Good job Toast" Steve added, clapping him on the back before he continued speaking. "All right team, let's get our gear ready, everyone make sure you've got your earpieces in because I'm going to want contact with you throughout the mission. Toast you need to be our eyes and ears when we storm the place. I'm assuming that you've got control of the cameras now?"

"I'm well ahead of you boss, it was the first thing I did. They are hacked and it will take a damn good hacker to take them back from me. The hostages appear to have been placed in a small room near the back of the building with two guards standing watch on the outside of the door. It's not like it's going to take you guys long to get take them out." He remarked.

Danni ignored the conversation as she took her tactical vest from Steve and pulled it on, securing it tightly before she turned her attention to her bag and pulled out the flat shoes which she tended to take everywhere with her. She disregarded the amused, fond looks which the other member of the team shot her as she kicked off her heels and placed the flats on. Bending down she picked up the heels and dropped them into her bag before passing it to Toast. The younger man took it from her with a grin and stored it by his feet.

"If we know what we're doing then let's head off because I still have some food shopping to get done for my Mexican banquet tonight" She remarked, her heartbeat quickening when she noticed the wide grin which came to Steve's face at her comment. For a moment she could almost forget what had happened the night before.

"Well, lucky McGarrett for getting to eat said Mexican banquet" Jack replied. "You know if there are any leftover then the girls and I would be more than happy to take them off your hands Danni-girl. You know how much Poppy and Bella adore your cooking babe" He remarked absently as he checked his guns.

"I'm her twin so I should get first dibs" David remarked, speaking for the first time since they arrived, a smile coming to his face when Toast jumped.

"Your nickname should be ghost because you make no freaking sound ever David" Toast grumbled with a shake of his head.

"How about I just make sure that I cook way too much tonight and then you both can have some" Danni compromised. "Anyone else wants some?" She laughed softly when they are automatically raised their hands including the member of the SWAT team who at least had the decency to sweat sheepish expressions on their faces.

"What makes you think that there are even going to be any leftovers tomorrow" Steve demanded with a raised eyebrow. "Perhaps Grace and I will eat it all instead.

"Don't be selfish boss, you've been able to eat Danni's cooking every evening for months now. Even when you move out she'll still probably have you round for dinner, the rest of us don't get that" Kono stated

A slightly awkward silence fell at her words before Toast suddenly spoke.

"Guys, I think the kidnappers have just twigged who exactly they have with them. One of them has just gone into the room and grabbed the Governor, separating her from the others. Looks like you need to swoop n now and pull your superhero shit before it is too late."

"Let's move out" Steve commanded, slipping easily into his SEAL state of mind. They left the van and fanned out to the area where they had been instructed to go. Danni breathed out, her eyes closing for a second as she focused herself before reopening her eyes and shooting Steve a reassuring smile when he looked towards her. They had four members of the SWAT team with them; Donoghue, Vincent, Miller and Harkaway, good men who she knew well. Steve nodded once at her before he spoke. "Now" He barked.

Harkaway slipped past him, kicking the door open before he stepped back and allowed Steve and Donoghue to be the first wave with the other four following closely behind them.

Now was the time for action.

* * *

Author Note

 **Thanks for taking the time to read. An especially big thank you if you have left me a review, favourite the story or decided to follow it.**

 **I really appreciate it**


	6. The Mission

Dark Roller-Coaster

By

Landon Richardson and TealRose

Official Disclaimer

 **The characters of Lieutenant Commander Steven 'Steve' McGarrett, Detective Chin Ho Kelly, Officer Kono Kalakaua, Agent Jenna Kaye, Adam 'Toast' Charles, Malia Waincroft and Lieutenant Freddie Hart do not belong to me in any shape or form. I am merely using them for my own entertainment purposes.**

 **The character of Detective Sergeant Danielle 'Danni' Williams probably can be considered to be mine by now. Although she was originally based on male Danny, she soon evolved becoming her own person. She has her own background, her own family, her own history and her own distinct personality. This isn't to say that the Danny Williams we all know and love is completely gone, he still emerges through her at times. I like to think of female Danni as what Danny could have been if everything in his life had gone his way. As in full custody of Grace and a decent relationship with his ex.**

 **The character of Grace has also changed slightly due to the change in Danni. Her surname is Taylor as this is her father's surname and was Danni's married name (Danni reverted back to her maiden name when she was divorced). Her parents also are amicable which has also impacted Grace but never fear, she's still the sweetheart we know and love, and if anything she's more a sweetheart now.**

 **The character of Special Agent Jack O'Connor, Major David Williams, Lieutenant Commander Riley King, Nyla Leon, Duncan Taylor, also belongs to me as does any other character who you do not recognise from the show. Please do not use them, or my version of Danni and Grace without first asking for my permission to do so.**

 **Thank you.**

Author Note

 **Here's the next chapter for you all.**

 **Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read this story**

 **Please enjoy**

Official Summary

 **One night is all it took to put Steve McGarrett newly achieved happiness at risk. Now he has to decide what's best. What he wants and needs or the needs of his team. Either way, someone is going to lose. (Steve x female Danni)**

Chapter Summary

 **Steve looked back at the four members of the SWAT team, using his fingers to point down the corridors leading off of the main corridor, thankful that they had all been trained in military signs so that he didn't have to explain himself to them.**

Overall Romances

 **Hints of Steve McGarrett / Danni Williams (McDanni)**

 **Mentions of past Duncan Taylor / Danni Williams (Dunni)**

 **Mentions of past Chin Ho Kelly / Malia Waincroft (Chalia)**

 **Nyla Leon / Hunter Leon (Hunla)**

Chapter Romances

 **Hints of Steve McGarrett / Danni Williams (McDanni)**

Warning

 **This story features a female Danni Williams in place of a male Danny Williams. Although in some stories I write, Danny does exist, he does not exist in this one.**

 **If this isn't your cup of tea than please turn back now.**

Other note

 **I do not have a Beta so please forgive any mistakes which may creep in, I always do my best to edit the story and check it but sometimes mistakes do creep in.**

 **The places I've mentioned in Hawaii are ones which come from google, including the addresses. I've never been to Hawaii myself in person so I apologise for any mistakes which I may make, these are not intentional.**

* * *

Chapter Six

The mission

* * *

Steve looked back at the four members of the SWAT team, using his fingers to point down the corridors leading off of the main corridor, thankful that they had all been trained in military signs so that he didn't have to explain himself to them. Instead they merely nodded, veering off in pairs to check them leaving Steve and Danni alone in the corridor.

Danni stood beside him watching every crook and cranny where someone could have been hiding from view. It was silent, something which he knew from experience that his partner hated since it meant that any slight noise they may have inadvertently made would be heard, leading directly to their location.

Steve glanced around him, stumbling to the side when Danni's body suddenly slammed into him sending him sprawling backwards, a bullet whizzing past where his head had been moment before and instead hit the wall sending shards of plaster and stone flying out though thankfully nowhere near their face. Steve barely had time to blink before Danni pulled out her gun and shot down the corridor, a corresponding cry of pain and the sound of metal hitting the floor making it clear that she had hit her target. He blinked when she disappeared, a thumping sound following before she suddenly reappeared, gun still in time.

"Steve are you okay?" She demanded, sounding worried as she reached out for him her hand latching round his wrist.

He looked at her, his hand reaching out for her automatically at the same time, landing on her shoulder, squeezing down lightly on the muscle before he took his hand back and reached into one of his numerous pockets, pulling out a couple of zip wires and holding them out to Danni. She glanced down at them before nodding and pulled her hand away from him, taking them from him. He covered her, keeping alert as she quickly tied the unconscious kidnapper up.

Steve moved forward, grabbing the man beneath his arms and pulled him out of view, confident that Danni was covering him. He disposed of the man in a nearby room, closing the door behind him before he re-joined Danni, meeting her eyes with a soft smile.

"Thanks for earlier Danno, that was quite the save" He commented, keeping his voice quiet.

"Someone has to look out for your tall ass" She replied, before she looked away, her hand tightening on her gun. Steve glanced over his shoulder as the other four appeared behind them, shaking their heads letting him know without words that they had found nothing, something which he wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or not. The whole point of them going in this way was to attract attention and to take out as many of the kidnappers as they could. The fact they weren't here could have meant that they were in the area where the secondary team led by Chin had entered the building.

They moved as one towards the doors which Steve knew would lead to the staircase. He stopped them outside, reaching up and activating the ear piece in his ear before speaking.

"Toast, we're about to enter the Northern staircase. We need some eyes in the area. Can you help?" He asked, keeping his voice low.

"Last time I checked that was why you hired me boss man" Toast replied over the com link, his voice confident over the line. "Luckily for us they had a camera installed in the stairwells. Looks like there is one guy who is currently hiding near the fifth level so you might want to keep to the side of the stairway unless of course you want a hail of bullets raining down on you all. I mean most people wouldn't but we both know that you like some added excitement and all boss" He remarked, the comment making Steve roll his eyes though he remained silent knowing that Toast tended to suffer from verbal diarrhoea when he was concerned over something.

"I think we'll skip the hail of bullets today if that okay with everyone" Danni said with a shake of her head before they moved as a group to the stairs. Steve glanced over his shoulder in time to see Vincent close the door behind them silently before they began making their way up the stairs making sure to press themselves against the wall. They stopped on the third floor which according to the Intel they had been given was where the hostages and the majority of the kidnappers were based.

Steve held up one hand, pointing at Donoghue before he pointed up the stairwell. Donoghue glanced up before his green eyes focused on them with a look of understanding as he nodded and headed past them, up the stairs to take out the lone gunman who was still waiting to surprise them. If it had been anyone else then Steve may have been tempted to send back up but he knew that Russell had handpicked his SWAT team the same way Steve had and that all of his team minus two members had military training. Donoghue had been an Army Ranger who had specialised in bomb disposal so if anyone could get the job done quickly it was him.

A glance through the window in the door showed Kono and Martin Gregory, one of the SWAT team members, in a standoff with two of the kidnappers, all of them with their guns out pointing at each other in a clear stale mate. Steve caught Kono's gaze when her eyes flickered over to the door. He nodded at her before pulling back and looking at the others, holding up two fingers to indicate them waiting two minutes.

A whooshing sound came from behind them attracting their attention. Steve turned just in time to see the dead body of the kidnapper fall. Passing their floor before it land with a thump of the ground floor. They shared a look before turning as one to the stairs just as Donoghue came down looking unharmed from the encounter.

Steve looked back through the window, frowning slightly at the sounds fliting through the small gap around the hinges. The kidnapers were yelling something but he couldn't quite understand what language they were speaking. He turned to Danni and raised an eyebrow at her.

"Recognise it?" He asked her quietly, knowing that Danni was the one with an ear for languages out of the test of the team.

She nodded, tilting her head with a startled expression in her eyes.

"They're speaking Russian, not exactly what I was expecting" She commented lowly.

"Can you understand enough to know what they are saying?" Miller asked from just behind them. His dark eyes fixed on them while the other three members of the team scanned the area constantly in case someone crept up on them.

"Not everything but enough to get a picture" She said, moving her head closer to the door, she remained silent for a moment, her eyes closed in concentration before she spoke. "They are saying that this whole situation is a mess and they need to clean it up and get out of here. I think they plan to kill all the hostages and make a getaway in the following chaos. It sounds like they may have a way out of here that we don't know about" She told them, as she took a step to the side of the door making room for Harkaway to take her position and assess the room.

"Toast, can you hear me" Steve whispered, pressing the ear piece into his ear further.

"I can hear you loud and clear boss" Toast responded. "What do you need me to do for you?"

"Check the blue prints and tell me whether this place has a basement or another exit that we haven't considered" He stated, listening to the sound of fingertips flying across a keyboard for a moment before Toast spoke again.

"It has a small basement" He remarked.

"What team is closest to it?" Steve asked, frowning slightly into the silence which followed his request.

"Well, it's Chin team but if you want to know who exactly is closest right this second then it's Perry and Meyer, they are only like two floors above it. I think Chin has the two of them checking rooms in case any of the hostages managed to escape from the main pack and conceal themselves.

"Okay, contact them and tell them to get themselves down to the basement and to stop anyone who may try and escape through that way. I don't want anyone escaping." He told the younger man who made a knowing sound at the back of his throat.

"Which means that you guys are about to make your push. Got it, I'll tell them now and tell them to hightail it down there ASAP." Toast commented before there was a clicking sound indicating that he had ended the connection between them.

Steve turned and looked at the people who he was with before he spoke.

"Ready?" He asked, smirking when he got four instant responses before he nodded. "One my count… one… two…. Three" He counted, kicking the door open at the number three and allowing Donoghue and Harkaway past him before he followed them in, taking one of the kidnappers out with a single shot.

The next few minutes were a haze of gunfire and movement, kidnappers pouring in from two adjoining rooms making Steve realise with a sinking feeling that they had miscalculated how many people were involved in the operation. As the final body dropped, Steve took a second to take a mental check on his body to make sure that he was okay and uninjured before he turned round, scanning the room with only one name on his lips.

"Danni?"

"Here" Came the reply as Danni emerged from behind a filing cabinet where she had clearly taken cover behind. She looked pale but ignored him as she looked around her, hurrying across the room towards Kono who was holding Gregory up. The tall man was gripping his thigh with a grimaced of pain indicating that somewhere along the way he had been shot. Steve moved towards them when Danni raised her voice. "Man down" He could hear her asking Kono if she was okay before Kono answered his a nod. Her words causing a cold wave to wash over him.

"I'm okay, slightly winded but nothing serious. Are you okay though Danni? Your arm is bleeding"

"It's nothing, it's just a graze Kono" Danni assured her, glancing towards Chin's voice from where it echoed out of one of the other rooms.

"Got all the hostages accounted for in here."

"At least that's something" Danni remarked as she helped Kono up, David appearing beside them with a med kit which he proceeded to use on Gregory, asking the man questions about how he was feeling.

"Hey" Steve said, reaching out and gripping her elbow pulling her slightly away, his eyes landing on her arm. "You okay?" He asked, some of his concern easing when she smiled at him.

"All good here Steve, you?"

"Fine" He began to say, stopping when Danni looked passed him. He looked over his shoulder, twisting round when he realised that the Governor was standing behind him.

"I just wanted to thank you and your team for what you've done here today Commander" She said to him, her blue eyes moving between Steve and Danni before she focused on the SWAT team who were gathering together the kidnappers who were still breathing securing their wrist behind their back so that they could be arrested once HPD entered the building. The other dead kidnappers would be left where they were to be photographed before the medical examiners took them away.

"We were just doing our job Ma'am" Steve answered politely.

"Still it was a job well done Commander, I won't forget it" She said before she turned and headed out of the door clearly wanting to get out of the building as soon as she could. Steve doubted that she would ever step back into it again if she could help it. He turned back to Danni who was looking around all the bodies with a resigned look, clearly trying to figure out just how long it would take to sort it all out.

"Hey" He said, attracting her attention. "Go and get yourself checked out by your twin or an EMT and then head out to get Gracie. I'll join you at yours once I've sorted things out here" He stated, bracing himself for the argument that was bound to occur though for once it didn't.

"Are you sure, there's a lot to do here" She questioned, already taking a step towards the door,

"I'm sure Danni" He confirmed glancing down at his watch. She was already an hour late to pick up Grace and he knew that she felt the time keenly. He needed her to be relaxed tonight, especially for their discussion which he knew would be tense enough as it was. "Is there anything you need me to pick up for tonight on my way back? I can grab my truck and…" His voice trailed off when she smiled at him.

"I can take care of everything, this is just a graze so don't worry about me. Just focus on the job at hand here so you can come back to mine" She said as she reached out and touched his forearm, blessing him with another smile before she turned and headed straight towards her twin who had just stood up after dealing with Gregory injury.

He watched her for a second, thankful that she was at least following his order in regards to that before he turned and looked at the scene through narrowed eyes.

Setting his shoulders he began walking towards Chin.

The sooner they got this under control. The sooner he and Danni could talk.

* * *

Author Note

 **Thanks for taking the time to read. An especially big thank you if you have left me a review, favourite the story or decided to follow it.**

 **I really appreciate it**


	7. Playing happy families

Dark Roller-Coaster

By

Landon Richardson

Official Disclaimer

 **The characters of Lieutenant Commander Steven 'Steve' McGarrett, Detective Chin Ho Kelly, Officer Kono Kalakaua, Agent Jenna Kaye, Adam 'Toast' Charles, Malia Waincroft and Lieutenant Freddie Hart do not belong to me in any shape or form. I am merely using them for my own entertainment purposes.**

 **The character of Detective Sergeant Danielle 'Danni' Williams probably can be considered to be mine by now. Although she was originally based on male Danny, she soon evolved becoming her own person. She has her own background, her own family, her own history and her own distinct personality. This isn't to say that the Danny Williams we all know and love is completely gone, he still emerges through her at times. I like to think of female Danni as what Danny could have been if everything in his life had gone his way. As in full custody of Grace and a decent relationship with his ex.**

 **The character of Grace has also changed slightly due to the change in Danni. Her surname is Taylor as this is her father's surname and was Danni's married name (Danni reverted back to her maiden name when she was divorced). Her parents also are amicable which has also impacted Grace but never fear, she's still the sweetheart we know and love, and if anything she's more a sweetheart now.**

 **The character of Special Agent Jack O'Connor, Major David Williams, Lieutenant Commander Riley King, Nyla Leon, Duncan Taylor, also belongs to me as does any other character who you do not recognise from the show. Please do not use them, or my version of Danni and Grace without first asking for my permission to do so.**

 **Thank you.**

Author Note

 **Here's the next chapter for you all.**

 **Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read this story**

 **Please enjoy**

Official Summary

 **One night is all it took to put Steve McGarrett newly achieved happiness at risk. Now he has to decide what's best. What he wants and needs or the needs of his team. Either way, someone is going to lose. (Steve x female Danni)**

Chapter Summary

 **An hour after Danni had left the crime scene saw her and Grace at home with Grace sitting at the kitchen table, her legs swinging to and fro as she focused her attention on the history homework which was due the following Monday while Danni worked away quietly at the counter top, chopping up some fresh avocados they had picked up at the market for the Guacamole she was making.**

Overall Romances

 **Hints of Steve McGarrett / Danni Williams (McDanni)**

 **Mentions of past Duncan Taylor / Danni Williams (Dunni)**

 **Mentions of past Chin Ho Kelly / Malia Waincroft (Chalia)**

 **Nyla Leon / Hunter Leon (Hunla)**

Chapter Romances

 **Hints of Steve McGarrett / Danni Williams (McDanni)**

 **Mentions of past Duncan Taylor / Danni Williams (Dunni)**

Warning

 **This story features a female Danni Williams in place of a male Danny Williams. Although in some stories I write, Danny does exist, he does not exist in this one.**

 **If this isn't your cup of tea than please turn back now.**

Other note

 **I do not have a Beta so please forgive any mistakes which may creep in, I always do my best to edit the story and check it but sometimes mistakes do creep in.**

 **The places I've mentioned in Hawaii are ones which come from google, including the addresses. I've never been to Hawaii myself in person so I apologise for any mistakes which I may make, these are not intentional.**

* * *

Chapter Seven

Playing Happy Families

* * *

An hour after Danni had left the crime scene saw her and Grace at home with Grace sitting at the kitchen table, her legs swinging to and fro as she focused her attention on the history homework which was due the following Monday while Danni worked away quietly at the counter top, chopping up some fresh avocados they had picked up at the market for the Guacamole she was making. She had decided on making Burritos, spicy rice and some nachos and freshly made dip for their Mexican evening.

It would have been easier to simply buy the dip and food already made but Danni found a sense of peace when she cooked which was lacking in other aspects of her life. At least with cooking she was completely in charge of everything that went into it and the taste of it. It made it easier to monitor Grace's reaction to the food as well and adapt for it.

She glanced up at the clock on the wall for a moment, a smile curving her mouth as she glanced down, place the knife beside the chopping board and scooping up the pieces of Avocados and dropping them into the blender. The meal was nearly completed and smelling delicious.

"Mummy, is Uncle Steve coming home tonight?" Grace asked her.

Danni blinked at the comment, twisting round slightly so she could see Grace's face. The small girl looked thoughtful, a look which Danni knew had been on her own face countless of times in the past and which Grace must have picked up on. It was her default face, a mask she wore when she didn't want the person she was speaking to knowing what she was thinking or feeling. Unfortunately for Grace she still had many years to go until she perfected it meaning that Danni could read the half hopeful, half concerned look on her daughter's face.

Danni remained quiet for a moment, picking up a nearby towel and using it on her hands before she spoke, keeping her voice neutral.

"He's coming over for dinner tonight" She said carefully as she placed the towel back down. She gave the food an once over, making sure it was fine, before she crossed the room, pulling out one of the chairs besides Grace's and lowering herself into it.

"How come you came without him, normally you come home together" Grace asked her, tilting her head so she could see Danni.

"Steve stayed behind at the crime scene tying up the loose end and running it to make sure everything that needed to be done is done. He let me go early so I could get to Amy's to pick you up. I think he also just really wants Mexican tonight and figured that if he let me go early then he would be able to eat quicker" She added, injecting a confiding note to her voice, happy when Grace laughed at the comment.

"So he'll be back soon then?" Grace queried.

"I would expect so" Danni said with a nod. "Is there something worrying you baby? You look troubled. I don't want you to ever feel like you can't talk to me about something. You always come first and you always will" She promised, reaching out and covering Grace's hand with hers.

Grace nibbled at her lower lip for a moment, brown eyes skirting away from Danni's before she spoke.

"I don't want him hurting you Mamma" She admitted, her voice barely above a hushed whisper as though she was scared that she would be overheard. The comment caused Danni's heart to twist, a lump coming to her throat which made it hard to swallow.

"I don't want that either" Danni said, meeting Grace's eyes when they spun round to look at her with a startled expression. Danni gave her a smile, scooting the chair back and holding her arms out, a slight laugh escaping when Grace immediately bolted from her own chair and clambered onto Danni's lap, her small arms wrapping around Danni's neck with a gentleness which almost reduced Danni to tears though she managed to hold them back. "The thing to remember my love is that Steve is sick at the moment" She reminded the small girl softly, rubbing her hand softly up and down Grace's back. "He would never ever hurt you or me intentionally but like your Uncle Chris he has periods of time when he isn't with us but somewhere else. He's not to blame for that sweetie"

"Will he get better? I like Uncle Steve Mamma, I don't want him to be hurt." Grace said as she nuzzled closer.

"I don't want him to hurt either" Danni told her. "He will get better eventually as long as he does what he is told and listens. He has us and the rest of the Ohana to help him."

"He'll do it if you tell him to Mamma, Uncle Steve always listens to you even if he acts like he doesn't sometimes. He told me that you are one of the only things which makes sense to him." Grace stated.

"He did? When was that?" Danni asked her curiously, resisting the temptation to look down at Grace.

"When we last went to the supermarket, you had gone to get something and that was when he said it" The small girl answered.

"Well that is good to know then" Danni remarked, brushing a kiss over the top of Grace's head. "We'll still have Uncle Steve round for dinner every night unless he has plans but he can't stay with us anymore."

"Because of his illness." Grace said wisely, glancing up when Danni nodded. "I'm sad he has to go Mamma but I love you and I don't want you hurt anymore. If he still come to dinner then we can still look after him until he goes. That should help him."

"Exactly my love" Danni said with a nod, giving Grace another kiss, this time on the forehead. "I best check on the food, the last thing we want is burnt burritos hey?" She said, smiling when Grace shook her head, her plaits flying around her head before she moved off of Danni's lap and back to her feet allowing Danni to get to her feet and move back towards the stove.

"Mamma, was anyone else hurt today like you?" Grace asked her suddenly.

Danni sighed quietly at the question, she had hoped that Grace wouldn't have noticed the bandage round her arm but it had been a futile hope. Grace had always been observant especially when it came to those she cared about. Danni and Duncan had shared the same belief of being truthful with their child even though it would be difficult at times so Grace would have all the facts available to her for any decisions or conclusions which she made. So far their way of parenting had been a success. Grace at the tender age of eight was a polite, well-mannered girl who was both thoughtful and kind and was without even one deceitful bone in her body. All that she asked from people was the truth.

"Auntie Kono was also shot in the chest but she had her vest on so she's fine. She's probably going to be bruised there for a while so you'll have to be gentle with her if you see her and give her a hug but the rest of the team including Toast were fine, no damage to them at all other than a slight scrape on Uncle Chin's arm." Danni told her, surprised when Grace's eyes suddenly widened.

"Toast was there?" She demanded sounding almost anxious.

"He was" Danni answered with a nod as a smile came to her face. Toast tended to come round their house at least once or twice a week so that Danni could make sure he had a healthy meal in him since Toast idea of dinner was either forgetting about it or a take away. He and Grace had hit it off like a house on fire and Toast had quickly, somehow, filled the position of big brother to her daughter. Danni had watched the relationship closely at first, concerned that some of Toast less desirable qualities may rub off on Grace but instead it had been the other way round with the small girl's good qualities being absorbed by Toast instead. Something which Danni could only see as a good thing and something which she encouraged. "He was safe outside in one of the SWAT vans with a member of SWAT with him. He was in no harm" She added.

"Good and don't worry Mamma, I'll make sure that I'm gentle with Auntie Kono as well. I don't want to make her feel any worse than she is."

"You can still hug her, just maybe not quite so eagerly as you normally would" Danni remarked, turning her attention to the blender and starting it up, her mind fixed on Grace. Her daughter had a tendency of throwing herself at people she knew for a hug and as much as Kono would enjoy the hug, it probably wouldn't do her any good at that moment in time. It would take at least a couple of weeks to fully recover from something like that.

She cut off the blender, her eyes flickering towards the door when she heard the familiar sound of Steve's truck pulling into the driveway. She fought the urge to go to the living room window just to make sure with her own eyes that he was okay, reminding herself that she would see him shortly at any rate. Steve always came home when dinner was just about ready, she was almost positive that he had a radar built into his watch or his truck or something which set off an alarm for him.

She stopped for a moment, shaking her head at her choice of words.

Steve came home?

"Sounds like Uncle Steve is back Mamma" Grace said, glancing towards the kitchen door. Normally the small girl would have raced out of her seat towards the front door, eager for a hug from Steve before she told him about her day but tonight she stayed where she was, a look of indecision on her face before she bent back down to her homework. The small action causing Danni's heart to twist though she remained silent, knowing there was nothing which she could say at the moment.

Danni reached out and flipped the radio on, focusing her attention back on the food at hand. Her ears straining over the music, she heard Steve enter the house, the door closing behind him before he entered the security code into the machine.

Breathing out slowly, she glanced to the door just as it opened and Steve walked in, a smile on his face as his eyes flickered between the two of them. Eyes which she noticed looked tired in the bright light.

"Hey Danni, hey Gracie" He said, moving over towards Grace and dropped a kiss on her hair before he looked back at Danni. "Something smells really good"

"That would be the Mexican feast" Danni responded lightly. "And once again you've made perfect time, it will be on the table in twelve minutes or so which give both you and Gracie enough time to go and choose the film which we'll watch after dinner and once Grace has finished her homework. I should warn the pair of you that I'm in the mood for something fun tonight."

"I think we can manage that Mamma" Grace said, glancing towards Steve for a moment and sharing a grin with him before she placed her pen on top of her exercise book and came to her feet, running out of the kitchen towards the living room.

Steve glanced towards the door before he moved towards Danni, stopping near her, his eyes dropping to her throat before he looked back at her.

"Do you need any help with dinner?" He offered. "Any last minute bits you need done?"

Danni glanced towards him and shook her head.

"We're all good here, you best not keep Grace waiting or she'll pick the film regardless of your input on the matter. I bet it takes the two of you longer to decide what to watch then for me to finish here." She remarked with an amused huff.

"That's true" Steve said slowly, his eyes moving over her face. "Are you okay?" He asked. The loaded question almost making her laugh though all she did was shrug at him.

"I'm just tired Steve, it's been a long twenty four hours so far" She told him ruefully, knowing that if she told him what was really going on in her mind that he would be out of there like a shot before they had a chance to talk and work things out.

"Are you coming Uncle Steve?" Grace called out from the living room, her voice coming across as impatient. "If not I'll choose it"

"See duty calls" Danni remarked, picking up the knife and using it to point towards the door. "Don't keep her waiting Steve" She advised, meeting his eyes head on when he gave her another searching look and resisting the impulse to reach out and rubbed her thumb over his slight frown to ease it away.

"I'm gone" He stated before he turned and left the room leaving Danni alone for the first time since she had picked Grace up from Amy's house.

Danni listened to the sound of their voice squabbling in the other room and found herself wondering when exactly it had become soothing and familiar to her. She took the perfectly cooked burritos out of the oven and placed three of them on their plates, raising an eyebrow when she saw how many were left over, left overs which would go to the rest of the team the next day. She scooped up the spicy rice onto the plates and added some salad as well before picking up two of the plates and placing them on the table. The rest of the dips and food were placed in the middle of the table in case anyone wanted anymore. She made Grace and herself some orange juice and grabbed a cold beer from the fridge for Steve before she placed them on the table and took a step back. A smile coming to her face. It looked pretty damn good even if she was saying so herself.

"Guys, dinner is now on the table, come and get it while it's hot" She called out through the door before she took her own seat, glancing up just as Grace burst through the door with Steve following close behind her.

It was minutes later after their first bites that some conversation was added. Grace kept them in stitches as she explained that the resident mice of the science labs has somehow escaped from their cages and had been running around the building for the whole day, freaking out some of the students and quite a few teachers as well, including her own Geography teacher. She went on the explain, using her fork as a pointer, that two of the boys in her class had managed to catch one of the mice in their classroom which had been vaguely entertaining for them to begin with before their teacher realised what was happening and had jumped on the table and freaked out over the whole situation. She created such a vivid picture of what happened that it felt as though Danni was in the room with them, watching it all first hand. Steve obviously felt the same since he was cracking up over Grace's impressions of the teacher's panicky calls to get the little terror out of the room. Apparently she couldn't stop shrieking or repeating the words. Danni should have felt sorry for the woman but she had met Ms Chadwick at a parent evening and the thought of the old and straitlaced Ms Chadwick dancing on top of a table was enough to make her laugh.

Glancing round the table, she sighed internally, wishing that nothing had to change while knowing that they had to.

Steve watched Danni from across the table, thankful to see that the expression on her face was one of relaxation and love as she listened closely to Grace as the small girl told her about a maths test which she had that day which she didn't think she had done to well on. He watched both of them for a second longer before his eyes flickered around the kitchen before landing on his plate and the half eaten Burrito which he was still making his way through. A Burrito which was done exactly how he liked it and was delicious. Danni somehow always knew exactly what he wanted even when he didn't. He could easily admit that he had never eaten so well before he moved in with her, content to just ring for a takeaway or throw something on the grill if he was having people around. Here though Danni cooked him breakfast and dinner and made sure that he had a lunch with him and she had never complained about it once. If anything she seemed to enjoy the task of cooking.

He bit the inside of his lip wondering whether she would still cook for him once they had their talk and Steve told her that he had come back to the house on his way back from his appointment and packed his things together. It had been easy to book himself into a hotel room and yet he was already dreading leaving Danni's house that evening to head back there.

He needed to start making some phone call to get his own house sorted out. After the damage that Nick Taylor and his team of rogue Agents had done to it, he had decided that it was a sign that he should start anew with the house and turn it into somewhere for him, a place he could call home. The only problem now however was whenever he thought of home he thought of Danni's place. Perhaps if he had listened to Chin's veiled hints that he should begin to sort his shit out instead of relying on Danni's hospitality then she would never have been hurt in the first place. It had been easy to make excuses about needing certain materials and to ignore the knowing look in Chin's eyes. Steve had wanted to stay exactly where he was and had managed to blow it.

"Hey Uncle Steve? Did you hear what I said to you?" Steve blinked at the sound of Grace's voice and turned to look at her, surprised to see that both Grace and Danni were looking at him with identical questioning looks which never failed to make him smile though he made sure not to show it on his face. Grace may have inherited Duncan's hair and eye colour but everything else down to the pale skin and facial features and expressions were her mother's through and through.

"Sorry about that Grace, I was in my own world for a moment. What did you as me?" He questioned, giving the small brunette his full attention. She searched his eyes for a moment before shrugging.

"I asked you what your plans were for this weekend" She repeated, scooping up some rice on her fork and putting it in her mouth, her gaze never leaving his face as she waited for his answer. His eyes flickered towards Danni but the blonde was focused on her food.

He remained silent for a moment, frowning as he considered her question before he nodded knowing that he had put off his plans for too long. Whatever was happening between him and Danni required him to have his own place, at least until they figured out where they stood with each other.

"I'll be working on my place this weekend Gracie. It needs a lot of work done on it and it's time that I get started on it." He told her seriously, catching the look which came to Danni's face as she glanced up at him. She looked interested in his plans, something which he found himself hating.

"It is going to take some time to make it suitable for you to live in again, especially with the structural damage from what happened there" Danni agreed as she took a sip of her orange juice.

"We can help you if you want Uncle Steve? You did say I could help you paint it when it was ready" Grace piped up looking excited by the idea.

"It's probably going to take a while until Steve is at that stage baby" Danni replied mildly before Steve could say anything. "He has a lot of work to get done before the cosmetic stage."

"Your mother is right Grace but I promise that as soon as it's ready I will let your Mom know and you and her can come with me to the DIY shop and help me pick out the colour scheme. How does that sound?" He offered, grinning when Grace nodded at him with a wide smile of her own.

"That sounds awesome. Thank you Uncle Steve" She replied happily.

"Is everyone finished with dinner?" Danni asked as she came to her feet.

"That was amazing Danni, please tell me that there is more for lunch tomorrow of it" Steve said hopefully, the comment causing Danni to laugh.

"You should know by now that there is always left overs here" She responded as she began gathering the empty plates together. "There's enough for the rest of the team and for Poppy and Bella as well" She admitted as she moved away from the table and placed the plates by the kitchen sink.

"We're going to have a very happy team tomorrow then" Steve replied as he gathered the empty glasses and brought them over to her, placing them beside the plates.

"That always makes it worthwhile" She stated before glancing over her shoulder towards Grace who was pushing the chairs in around the table. "Gracie, why don't you leave that and go and set up the movie for us? Have you finished your homework?" She asked.

"Yep, I just finished it as Uncle Steve got here" Grace said with a nod as she pushed the last chair in and left the room to follow Danni's instructions.

Steve loaded the dishwasher for Danni while she placed the leftover food into microwavable containers for the next day for when the others would come and collect it from her. The fact that the next day was a Saturday wouldn't make any difference, all it would mean it that Danni would send out a text saying that there were left overs and the other member of the team would stop by throughout the day to pick it up and to have a chat. Steve had lost count of the number of times since he had been staying there that one of the team would come round and end up staying for the day, then another would turn up and the same thing would happen and Danni would end up feeding them all another meal. The few times she had been tired though Steve had placed his foot down and started up a BBQ so she could rest.

He watched her as she worked, trying to burn the picture into his mind for when he as gone. It always amazed him how she could be equally as happy in the kitchen as she was in the office working on a case. She was the most interesting, complex woman he had met and he had blown it with her before they even had a chance to explore the chemistry between them.

Pushing the though away he closed the door to the dishwasher and pressed the start button before taking a step back from it. He turned, almost colliding with Danni who was holding in her hands two cups of tea.

"Sorry" She said quickly as she took a step back from him. "I didn't realise you were turning so fast. I made us some tea, figured you could use some"

Steve remained quiet, watching as a drop of tea slid down the white mug heading towards her fingers, he reached out and brushed it away.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, I should have glanced around me before stepping back" He answered, watching as her eyes dropped for a moment before she looked back at him. Emotions danced across her face, the predominate ones being a mixture of fondness, desire and a new wariness which tore at him. It was a look which told him that he wasn't alone in his feelings towards her. He sighed, his eyes closing. "Danno" He breathed. "You're killing me"

She remained silent long enough for him to open his eyes again to see her watching him closely.

"We need to talk" She said once his gaze met hers again.

"Come on Mamma, come on Uncle Steve. I've got the movie ready to go, what's taking so long?" Grace called out, stopping any response which Steve may have given Danni.

"We're coming Gracie, don't press start until we're in there" Danni called back, waiting until Grace made a sound of acknowledgment before looking back at Steve.

"We'll talk after Grace is in bed?" He said, waiting until she nodded before he reached out and took both mugs from her, his fingertips brushing against hers, the simple touch sending a thrill of electricity up his arms.

"You head in while I get the nachos and dips." She stated as she turned and headed towards the fridge, pulling the door open and reached in, pulling out the fresh dips which she must have made up since being home since Steve knew for a fact that they hadn't been in the fridge that morning. He waited for her until she picked up the bowl of nachos and followed her into the living room, placing the mugs on the table besides the nachos and dips.

He stood waiting until Danni lowered herself onto the sofa beside her daughter, her arms automatically wrapping round Grace's shoulders before he sat next to her on the sofa, forcing himself to keep some space between them when all he wanted was to snuggle close to her

"What have you picked then?" Danni asked, glancing towards Grace and laughing when her daughter picked up the cover and held it up so she could see it. "Tarzan? Well that's a good choice for tonight" She stated.

Steve stared at the screen, barely paying attention as he tried to figure out in his mind the best way of approaching his conversation with Danni. The closer it got to that talk, the more his stomach was churning. He blinked realising that an hour had passed. He turned to Danni, unsurprised to see that Grace was fast asleep, her head resting on Danni's lap. She looked completely comfortable though Steve had a feeling that was partially down to Danni running her hand through Grace's long dark hair. He already knew from personal experience how good those fingertips felt running though hair. He focused on Danni surprised to see that her own eyelid were drooping as though she was fighting the impulse to fall asleep.

He knew from experience that it never took long for Grace to fall asleep during the move; it was the main reason why he let her always win the argument when it came to picking the movies. She would pick the one she wanted but never get through them. He smiled, starting when Danni's head fell on his shoulder. He fought with himself for a moment before he leaned forward and spoke, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Danni, Grace is asleep now, we should probably put her to bed. Did you need help?" He murmured to her, watching as Danni's eyes shot open. She moved away from him, blinking at him in confusion before she looked down at Grace, her expression softening.

"Yeah some help tonight would be good" She replied tiredly, reaching up and rubbing at her eyes. Steve came to his feet, moving round so he was facing her and leaned down, picking up Grace and headed out of the living room towards the stairs. He made his way into her bedroom and lowered her on the bed, glancing towards the door as Danni followed them in. She nodded at him, a small smile on her face to soften her sending him away.

He nodded at her and left the room, pulling the door to behind him before he headed down the stairs, trying to brace himself for what he knew what was ahead of him.

* * *

Author Note

 **Thanks for taking the time to read. An especially big thank you if you have left me a review, favourite the story or decided to follow it.**

 **I really appreciate it**


	8. Decision Made

Dark Roller-Coaster

By

Landon Richardson and TealRose

Official Disclaimer

 **The characters of Lieutenant Commander Steven 'Steve' McGarrett, Detective Chin Ho Kelly, Officer Kono Kalakaua, Agent Jenna Kaye, Adam 'Toast' Charles, Malia Waincroft and Lieutenant Freddie Hart do not belong to me in any shape or form. I am merely using them for my own entertainment purposes.**

 **The character of Detective Sergeant Danielle 'Danni' Williams probably can be considered to be mine by now. Although she was originally based on male Danny, she soon evolved becoming her own person. She has her own background, her own family, her own history and her own distinct personality. This isn't to say that the Danny Williams we all know and love is completely gone, he still emerges through her at times. I like to think of female Danni as what Danny could have been if everything in his life had gone his way. As in full custody of Grace and a decent relationship with his ex.**

 **The character of Grace has also changed slightly due to the change in Danni. Her surname is Taylor as this is her father's surname and was Danni's married name (Danni reverted back to her maiden name when she was divorced). Her parents also are amicable which has also impacted Grace but never fear, she's still the sweetheart we know and love, and if anything she's more a sweetheart now.**

 **The character of Special Agent Jack O'Connor, Poppy O'Connor Major David Williams, Lieutenant Commander Riley King, Nyla Leon, Duncan Taylor, Doctor Jacob Goodman, Jamie Madison and Sasha Douglas also belongs to me as does any other character who you do not recognise from the show. Please do not use them, or my version of Danni and Grace without first asking for my permission to do so.**

 **Thank you.**

Author Note

 **And here is the last chapter of this story for you all!**

 **I'm sorry for the delay in getting this to you but as it said in my bio I was on a writing hiatus until the 1** **st** **January due to issues in real life. Those issues are unfortunately still ongoing and will probably be ongoing for a while but I am now on leave from work until the 6** **th** **February which gives me some much needed extra hours in the day so my plan is to do a chapter a day on various stories with the plan of finishing off the ones which are actually close to completion.**

 **I'm not sure which ones I will do or whether they will be in a particular order or even if I will update on a daily basis yet. I still need to figure out the best way of going about this.**

 **Anyway to everyone who read, reviewed, followed or made this story into a favourite, thank you so much. It really makes such a difference to know that there are some people out there who are enjoying what I am doing.**

 **Happy new year to you all!**

 **May this story be the first of many of mine which will be completed this year!**

Official Summary

 **One night is all it took to put Steve McGarrett newly achieved happiness at risk. Now he has to decide what's best. What he wants and needs or the needs of his team. Either way, someone is going to lose. (Steve x female Danni)**

Chapter Summary

 **"Mamma, are you going to talk to Uncle Steve now?" Grace asked sleepily from where she was cocooned in her duvet. She looked tired, as though she was fighting against the urge to sleep just so she could speak to Danni one last time.**

Overall Romances

 **Hints of Steve McGarrett / Danni Williams (McDanni)**

 **Mentions of past Duncan Taylor / Danni Williams (Dunni)**

 **Mentions of past Chin Ho Kelly / Malia Waincroft (Chalia)**

 **Nyla Leon / Hunter Leon (Hunla)**

Chapter Romances

 **Hints of Steve McGarrett / Danni Williams (McDanni)**

 **Mentions of past Duncan Taylor / Danni Williams (Dunni)**

Warning

 **This story features a female Danni Williams in place of a male Danny Williams. Although in some stories I write, Danny does exist, he does not exist in this one.**

 **If this isn't your cup of tea than please turn back now.**

Other note

 **I do not have a Beta so please forgive any mistakes which may creep in, I always do my best to edit the story and check it but sometimes mistakes do creep in.**

 **The places I've mentioned in Hawaii are ones which come from google, including the addresses. I've never been to Hawaii myself in person so I apologise for any mistakes which I may make, these are not intentional.**

* * *

Chapter Eight

Decision made

* * *

"Mamma, are you going to talk to Uncle Steve now?" Grace asked sleepily from where she was cocooned in her duvet. She looked tired, as though she was fighting against the urge to sleep just so she could speak to Danni one last time.

Danni smiled, moving back towards the bed and leaned down, kissing Grace on the forehead softly, she lingered for a second over the contact before she straightened again.

"I am" She confirmed, looking away from Grace's suddenly concerned face to fuss with the bed covers, smoothing them down before she continued speaking. "I don't want you to worry about it though Gracie because everything is going to be fine. Uncle Steve and I are just going to talk and sort out a few things together, that's all I promise."

"What sort of things Mamma? Things like if he is going to stay here?" Grace queried, the soft question causing Danni to sigh inwards as she lowered herself onto the mattress beside her daughter, tilting her head to the side so she could meet Grace's gaze directly.

"That will be one of the things we discuss yes" She confirmed quietly, reaching out and brushing some of Grace's dark hair away from her eyes. "The truth is Gracie that Uncle Steve isn't going to be able to stay with us anymore, at least not for the time being anyway."

"But Mamma I…" Grace began to say, stopping when Danni laid a single finger against her lips, giving her a reassuring smile before she began speaking again,.

"I know it's hard to hear Grace but Uncle Steve moving out for the moment is the best option for everyone involved including Uncle Steve, the fact that he won't be living with us doesn't change who Uncle Steve is to us. You'll still see him a great deal, just not as much as you did while he was living here. He still loves you as much as he has always done so I don't want you to be worried about that changing okay?" Danni stated, resting her hand against Grace's cheek for a moment and smiling when Grace immediately pulled her hand out from beneath the duvet and wrapped it around her wrist, holding on tightly, the same as she had always done since she was a baby.

"We'll still invite him to dinner though right Mamma? We need to make sure he eats properly because Auntie Kono says that Uncle Steve has horrific food habits" Grace stated, the statement causing Danni's mouth to curl up into a small smile as she nodded.

"Well Auntie Kono is right about that so we'll still invite him every day to come and have dinner with us but just remember Gracie that he may not always be able to come. Your Uncle Steve is a busy, popular man with plenty of friends outside the two of us. He's going to want to hang out with them as well some evenings"

"I guess" Grace said sounding disappointed as she nibbling at her lower lip.

"It's normal Gracie" Danni assured her, falling silent for a moment before she spoke. "Let me put it another way, who is your best friend?" She asked

"Poppy, Jamie and Sasha" Grace answered instantly.

"Okay and do you want to hang out with Poppy, Jamie and Sasha every single day at the exclusion of doing something else with one of your other friends?" Danni questioned, absently stroking Grace's hair while the young girl considered her question carefully.

"I guess not, I love Poppy, Jamie and Sasha but I really like Kali and Liliana as well, it would suck if I couldn't hang out with them occasionally to do things. We have a lot of fun together." Grace told her.

"Exactly, it's the same for Uncle Steve as well, he loves hanging out with you and me but we aren't his only friends. I think while he's been living with us he's been turning down offers from his friends to go and hang out with them so he could be here with us, now that he won't be living here, he'll have a lot of catching you to do with them." Danni explained with a smile.

"I'm going to miss Uncle Steve living here Mamma, he was a lot of fun to have around even if he couldn't cook very well." Grace admitted on a sigh.

"I'll miss him a lot as well Gracie but as I said before it's the best decision for everyone. You, me and Uncle Steve as well. One day you'll see that." Danni promised with another warm smile at the small girl.

"Will he miss living with us do you think Mamma? It's gonna be strange for him to be by himself again don't you think." Grace asked, an undercurrent of nervousness to her voice.

"It will be strange for him at first but if anyone knows how to adapt to situations then it's your Uncle Steve. As for whether he'll miss living with us? Well I'm willing to bet everything we own that he will miss us Gracie" Danni assured her, leaning down and kissing her again before she pushed herself to her feet. "Now it's time for you to go to sleep now, I'll see you in the morning, remember we have a busy day ahead of us so I'll wake you up by eight thirty if you aren't already up and about. It's Saturday so it be bacon and eggs tomorrow" She told the small girl, laughing when a tired cheer erupted from the bed. "I love you Gracie-bean"

"Love you too Mamma" Grace responded, blowing her a kiss before she snuggled down on the pillow, her eyes already drifting shut. Danni smiled, moving across the room and stopped by the doorway, reaching to the side of her and flicking off the light switch before she left the room and pulled the door closed behind her.

She glanced down the hallway, making sure she was alone before she leaned back against the wall, closing her eyes and allowing herself a moment to try and gather herself together. She felt like she was going to throw up from the way her stomach was churning from nerves.

"Pull it together Williams, you can do this. Just go down there and nicely ask Steve to pack his things and leave… yeah… there's no way that can go badly" She murmured to herself, bringing her fingers to her nose and pinching the bridge of it, focusing on her breathing before she let out one final shaky breathe and stood straight again, her shoulders set.

She moved through the house and into the kitchen, stopping when she realised that Steve was in there rather than in the living room like she had expected him to be.

"Hey" He commented, glancing towards her, his eyes flickering up and down her before focusing on her face. "Grace down for the night? Figured you would want some of that tea you always swear by so I'm making us a cup" He explained, nodding towards the teapot in front of him.

"I guess that's one thing you've learnt from us during your stay here" Danni remarked, going onto explain when he shot her a questioning look. "How to make a proper cup of tea rather than the pathetic excuses you used to make" She teased with a grin.

"Most people liked the way I made my tea" Steve pointed out as he glanced down at his watch, clearly timing something.

"Most people don't know you the way I do" Danni responded quietly.

"That's true" Steve agreed with a nod before they both fell silent. Danni moved towards the kitchen table, lowering herself into one of the chairs as she watched Steve move around her kitchen with an ease and sense of familiarity which caused her heart to twist painfully in her chest.

It was going to be difficult for her to readjust to being alone once Grace was in bed again rather than having Steve there with her to chat to or watching the TV or a movie with.

"We'll have to buy you a teapot for your house" Danni commented suddenly, breaking the silence between them. "So you can have proper tea when you're there" She clarified.

"You mean so I can make you proper tea in the evening when you come to visit" Steve corrected with a grin as he picked up the teapot and poured the drink into two mugs before placing it back on the stand. "Where do you want to drink these, in here or the living room?" He asked as he moved towards the fridge and opened it, disappearing for a second from sight before he pulled back with a pint of milk.

"The living room would probably be more comfortable" Danni answered, pushing herself back to her feet as she watched Steve pour in just the right amount of milk into the drinks. He stirred them, passing the milk back to Danni when she appeared at his side before picking the mugs up.

"I'll meet you in there" He told her before leaving the room. Danni bit down on her lip as she put the milk back into the fridge, trying desperately to figure out the best way of broaching the subject but words escaped her. Sighing she closed the fridge door and left the kitchen, heading into the living room.

Steve was sprawled on the sofa, his long legs stretched out in front of him. His arms were crossed over his chest while his head was tipped back, resting against the back of the sofa though she could tell from the glint that his eyes were wide open.

Danni moved across the room and took the space beside him, glancing at the two mugs on the coffee table before she twisted round on the sofa so she was facing him, her legs tucked up beneath her.

"So" She said softly, meeting his eyes when he tilted his head towards her.

"So" He replied, equally as quietly. "This is it then"

"Yes and no" Danni responded with a shrug. "I think we both know that you can't stay here anymore, at least not for the time being. Maybe in the future things will be different and if there wasn't Grace to consider then we probably wouldn't even be having this conversation but there is my daughter to consider and I can't have her being concerned about anything. This is her home, she needs to feel completely safe here."

"I understand" Steve said with a nod. "The truth is Danni that I wouldn't stay here even if Grace wasn't a factor, not after what I did last night. I can't risk that happening again and you being in the crosshairs and getting hurt because of me. I've already packed my things and booked myself into a hotel for the time being. If need be then Chin has offered me his spare room for a few weeks until my house is structurally safe enough for me to move back in. The cosmetic side of it can happen while I still live in there" He stated with a shrug.

"You already packed and moved out?" Danni asked in surprise, ignoring the stab of hurt she felt at his comment.

"On my way back from my appointment" Steve confirmed. "It's best for us all, this way it was quick and simple and Gracie didn't have to see it which is the main thing."

"I know" Danni said. "I just… we're just going to miss you, I've got used to having you around us that's all" She admitted with a shrug as she looked away from him.

"I'm going to miss being here but you and Grace will still see lots of me unless your invitations for dinner are now at an end." He commented, the remark causing her to laugh reluctantly.

"Grace would never speak to me again if you didn't come to dinner at least three times a week." She stated.

"It be a lot more than three, I've grown used to your meals. I don't think I could go back to anything else" He remarked with a wink at her when she looked at him.

"I'll keep that in mind" She promise before her expression turned serious. "I don't want you to think that just because you're living elsewhere that you aren't welcome here and if you get another attack then you have to call me Steve. I hate knowing that you're going to be alone through it"

"Yeah well I'd rather be alone through it then risk hurting you again Danni" He stated. "But the Doc did mention that calling you if you were okay with it would probably do me some good and help centre me."

"If I was okay with it?" Danni repeated before waving her hand to the side as though brushing his comment away. "If I find out that you have had an attack and haven't called me then I will kick your ass myself. I don't care what time it is or if I'm in the middle of doing something, you still pick up that phone and call me so I can help you and if it's a day where Grace is with Duncan then you get yourself over here. You said this morning that it helped being near me so that's what we'll do."

"If I do that and it strikes again then…" He began saying stopping when she cut across him.

"Then what? I'll be in danger? I hate to tell you this sweetheart but we are in danger every single day at work. I'm used to it. You will need help and I can help you so do not under any circumstances be a martyr and try and struggle through it alone because all that will do is make you worse and take longer for you to beat this. The only way to get through this is to do it together, the same as we do with any other issue." She told him seriously, reaching out and placing her hand on his forearm, squeezing down on the muscle.

"I'll think about it" He replied, holding up his hand when she went to interrupt and continued to speak. "No Danni, you're one of the most important people in my life and I will not put you in any more danger when it comes to this even if being around you helps because if I did attack you again which is a strong possibility if it struck and I hurt you more than I already have or did something worse then I wouldn't recover from that. I can't be responsible for hurting you, I just can't" He stated, covering her hand with his as he looked away, staring at the mantelpiece above the fireplace which he knew was never used. "I will however call you whenever this happen, I can give you that much happily but don't ask me for anything else until I am better."

Danni remained quiet for a moment, eyes scanning Steve's profile before she sighed and nodded.

"If that what it takes for you to get better then that is what we will do. We can still have an evening routine together if you want, I mean there's no reason why you can't come here after work the same as you have been, eat dinner here and watch a movie before going. Maybe sticking to a routine would help you?"

"That what the Doc thinks" Steve agreed. "Don't think that I'm ungrateful for the offer Danni because you have no idea what it means to me that you would even trust me enough to have me back here after yesterday. Most people wouldn't even want me in their home if I had done to them what I did to you."

"Yeah well I think we've already established that I'm not like most people Steve and neither of you. It's probably why we are able to click so well" She said lightly. "Did you want to speak about what Doctor Goodman said to you during your session this afternoon?" She asked, disappointed when Steve shook his head.

"Not yet Danni, I'm still trying to work it through in my head myself but once I have a clearer understanding then maybe we could talk about it" He said before he glanced down at his watch. "It's only eight thirty, I've got time to watch a movie before I have to head out if you fancy one? I'll even let you pick because I'm such a nice guy" He said with a flash of a smile at her.

"A movie sounds pretty good right now" She told him as she came to her feet. "Can you grab the dip and nachos from the kitchen while I pick the movie, no point them going to waste after all" She asked him, smiling when he bounded to his feet and headed out the door, brushing her lower back with his hand before he disappeared.

Danni watched the door for a moment before she sighed and headed over to the DVD.

Hopefully this separation would only be a temporary thing.

* * *

Author Note

 **Thanks for taking the time to read. An especially big thank you if you have left me a review, favourite the story or decided to follow it.**

 **I really appreciate it**


End file.
